Luster the Cat: Season 3
by ModernHog
Summary: Continuation of Season 2. Mainly a Sonic fanfic. Also features elements from Xenoverse 2 and Dragon Ball Super. By the hands of Solaris, the God of Time, Luster is sent through dimensions once again. He finds himself in the safe hands of the Time Patrol, in a universe familar yet unfamiliar to him. Just how will he get back home? Final season of the Luster the Cat series.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: Actually, I'm not doing this anymore. It's stupid, frankly. Nobody's ever been arrested or anything for not doing a disclaimer in their fanfic, so why have I been doing it for 5+ years? From now on, I'll no longer be doing this. Just a heads up. Now enjoy the story!_

* * *

Somewhere, within some world, there lies mountains that reach into the layer of the sky that is just beyond the clouds but is still in the planet itself. This particular spot has several of these mountains in the distance. The sky was a clear, fresh blue and every cloud in the vicinity was a blank white. What proved to be rather incongruous to this place were many humanoid creatures floating around.

Each one of them seemed to be shocked, as if something happened that nobody could explain. Chatter was heard; most people were asking the obvious. Others thought they were the cause of the occurrence. But they weren't. One small creature found herself frightened, confused and full of guilt. The taller creature to her left, who was more human-like in appearance, was concerned about the settlement that had just been destroyed. Another elderly looking lifeform - this one was similar to the guilty party in appearance - was close to covering his face with his palm.

"Uh...oops. I wasn't expecting that to happen," the guilt-ridden creature cried, retaining her goofiness despite the gravitas of what happened. "I only wanted to show how strong I was…"

"What WERE you expecting?" the elderly one criticised. "Were you expecting to summon the Eternal Dragon or something? You really are hopeless…"

"Hey! I resent that," the female one retorted.

The human-like one sighed. "Come on, break it up you two. Arguing isn't going to bring back the city."

"Neither will her rash actions," the old creature remarked.

"Look, this may not be an accident after all. We can use this to our advantage," the taller, purple-haired person schemed. "Remember those talks we've had about expanding the city? This just saves us the trouble of removing the old place."

"Alright," the elder one accepted, now calmed. "But how are we going to make the new one? It would take too long for us to build it ourselves. And it's not like we can just hire construction workers."

"No, but we've got the next best thing. Dragon Balls," the tall one suggested. "All we need to do is tell Shenron how we want the new city to be and we should be good to go. We don't even have to use a second wish for it."

"That's a good idea, Trunks," the perpetrator agreed.

Once an agreement was reached between the three, they all began to move away from their spot that had them floating at a point higher than any mountain. The three moved together, trying to locate particular objects of interest. It would take them some time to do so.

 _Unknown Time, Unknown Date_

 _Between Dimensions_

Hurtling through the space in between dimensions, a lone Mobian cat was helpless to the fate that was about to come. He was unconscious. Even if he were awake to see the nothingness pass by him, he would not know the meaning of what was happening to him. He would not know how this came to be, nor would he know where he was about to go.

The Mobian could only remember a festival. An event he had been prepared for. A princess that needed to be protected. It was his job to do so, else the populace lose themselves amongst riots.

But what happened to him?

If he were awake, he would be able to remember various adventures he had shared with his friends. Two other Mobians...rescued him from a rampaging robot that killed his parents. Those other two Mobians were his greatest friends. An evil scientist...space station. One of these adventures didn't even involve the cat. It was solely about the blue one's battle with the scientist, who was more of a mechanical engineer than anything. The yellow, tailed one was only involved with the creation of a rocket.

Another adventure revolved around the cat and the fox chasing after the hedgehog, who had been captured by the human. The cat loved this experience for it was the first time he could stretch his claws, figuratively speaking.

Then there was that bright light. It enveloped a huge area and was responsible for sending the cat to another universe entirely, along with his friends. His first inter-dimensional journey. Once there, he met with various humans who were mostly kind. Some were selfish while others were indifferent and some were scared. Eventually the Mobians were able to prove themselves, especially after beating the evil scientist several times.

Their place in Earth's society was further cemented following the defeats of the God of Destruction as well as the Prototype Ultimate Lifeform (not at the same time). Despite the scientist's access to Earth's technology, his efforts were wasted in vain attempts for victory.

Some time after the Prototype Ultimate Lifeform's defeat and the halting of a madman's revenge, the cat found himself flying across dimensions, similarly to how he is now. That time he was found by a pair of human-like aliens, who called themselves Saiyans, though they lived just like earthlings. The pair belonged to a family that had a human mother and a father who was also a Saiyan.

This Saiyan changed the cat for the better. He was made stronger, faster, smarter - improved in every way. No longer would the cat be relegated to a useless support position. He could now be on the frontlines, fighting alongside his friends. As long as he kept this level of strength up by training, the cat could stay like that forever.

He chose to do so. Even as he later returned to his home dimension, which had been reunited with his original dimension, the one the Mobians lived in before the bright light engulfed them all. The cat was the one behind the reuniting - having used the Dragon Balls to do so. Seven spheres that when brought together, could grant three wishes. One of these wishes was to bring his parents back to life, but this couldn't be done due to a higher power somehow preventing the wish from coming into effect. Although made upset by this news, the cat pushed on and wished to return home.

After meeting up with his friends and showing off his newfound powers, the cat returned to the life he once led. Several months had passed while he was gone: in that time, things had happened that the cat needed to be filled in on. But it wasn't anything too important.

What came after had disappointed the cat. He was captured by the evil scientist, as the Mobian believed the world's enemy to know something about his parents' location. All he received in return was a 'no'. The blue hedgehog, the yellow fox and the red echidna banded together not only to stop the scientist's latest plan, but to rescue the turquoise cat. Along with other teams, there were four groups of three Mobians fighting against the scientist, all at the same time.

Not long after that, there was the whole thing with the Black Arms aliens. They had some sort of relation with the black hedgehog. The cat proved to be useful during this attack, because he helped to fight against the invaders as well as to bring both the black and blue hedgehogs to certain locations.

Then came the festival...the one he missed out on. There was no known way for him reverse the process of being flung through universes. He had to deal with what was happening to him. Certainly; the cat named Luster hoped to return to his friends.

 _1:21 PM - Age 851_

 _In the Sky_

"Rise, Shenron!" the pink creature called out to the seven orange spheres below her.

It did not take long for the Dragon Balls to be found. Although they were originally hidden, the spheres were unharmed. The three lifeforms set the Dragon Balls down at the peak of a mountain. Once the pink one spoke those words - a large, thin dragon emerged. The dragon eclipsed the entire area, darkening the sky's colour by merely using its presence. Shenron was its name.

"State your wishes. I will only grant three," the Eternal Dragon boomed, its voice echoing throughout the place.

"Alright Shenron, listen up. I've got a vision of a city in my head. I wish that it would appear, in its entirety, within this wide open space here," the pink one answered the dragon's call. She motioned towards the large area beyond the mountain peak when she referred to it. "If that's possible."

"That is within my power," Shenron confirmed. An orange energy glowed momentarily at the dragon's forehead (or at least where it would be). Seconds later, a very large settlement appeared within the space the pink creature motioned to.

There was a yellow-gold dome towards the right of the city, with a three pronged circular pond to the dome's left. All around the pond were small, white domed buildings. Right next to this plaza was a long set of stairs that went past what seemed to be a tournament arena before ending at a clear portal. In the opposite direction of the stairs were numerous skyscrapers - this sector looked like a real city. It even had a building that contained large letters, reading as 'Orange Star High School'.

Nearby those buildings was a small bamboo forest that was split in the middle to make way for a light-coloured dirt path. This ended at a petite house which looked as if it belonged in feudal Japan. Another dirt path that offshooted from the main plaza ran through a series of hills until there was a strange area with blue grass, purple trees and alien-like houses.

While this city was nowhere near as massive as a real one, it still possessed the essence of one. That was all that mattered to the three.

"What else do you wish for?" Shenron snapped the three back to reality.

"Nope, there's nothing else we want. Trunks? Elder Kai?" the pink one checked with her allies.

"I'm good," Trunks, the lavender haired one, answered.

"You know what I want. Heh heh heh…" Elder Kai, the older one, replied. The pink one frowned and shook her head in disgust. "Lighten up, Chronoa. That stuff's what I'm still alive for!"

Chronoa, the pink one, sighed. "So nothing, then! Great! Thanks Shenron, bye!" With no more wishes to be made, Shenron disappeared, causing the darkness to fade. The Eternal Dragon transformed back into an orange light and re-entered the Dragon Balls. Each of these mythical artefacts then fell asleep - a process that simply consisted of the spheres turning into grey stones.

But then, Chronoa approached the perished Dragon Balls and began to cover them with her energy. It didn't take much longer for them to return to their usual, orange states.

"There! We'll have to put them back in the Time Nest," she stated. "At least, only if it's the same as before, which it should be."

"It sure is a good thing that Dende gave us these. It's even better that you can just bring them back to normal like that," Trunks remarked, appreciating the Supreme Kai's handiwork.

Elder Kai had his arms folded, physically representing his distaste. "Such a grievous misuse of mystical power...I remember when the Dragon Balls could only give you one wish and they'd all go away after being used! How the times are changing…"

"Convenience is a good thing, old man. I don't see why you're complaining," Chronoa returned with a smile.

"I am NOT old!" the aged Shinjin complained, breaking out of his defiant crossed arms and instead partaking in a miniature tantrum.

"Older than literally everyone else here," Chronoa smirked.

Trunks frowned. "Come on, we've got better things to do than argue about ages. Shouldn't we be introducing this place to the Time Patrollers?"

"Yes! That's a much better use of our time. Go, Chronoa, call them all here, then I'll let you do the explaining," Elder Kai agreed, pointing at the female Shinjin as if he was the one to give out orders. He then flew into the city at a strangely fast pace, which the other two attributed to his childish frustrations.

Chronoa and Trunks sighed. They were used to Elder Kai's antics and his age-inappropriate mannerisms, but that didn't make it easier to deal with him. However, they all had a job to do and they were most certainly going to do it.

It took quite a bit of time for every Time Patroller to arrive within the new city. The differing races of the TIme Patrol were mostly confused as to where they were and what exactly was going on, but with the help of Trunks, everyone found themselves positioned in a very large group in front of a large set of stairs. Chronoa was at the first platform amongst the stairs, a piece of solid ground big enough to walk around in without accidentally falling down (which she was secretly afraid of doing). She addressed her audience with the deepest and most formal voice that she could muster, though in the grand scheme of tonal ranges, it wasn't very deep at all. Still, she had to explain, and explain she would.

"So, I bet you're all wondering what this place is," Chronoa began the introductory speech. "This is Conton City, the new home of the Time Patrol! You might remember Toki Toki City..well, you should, considering it was still here only two hours ago. That old place was getting far too cramped for our growing numbers, so we've decided to make a brand new home for our organisation. We have all the same systems and the like from Toki Toki City, such as the Parallel Quest system and the Free Battle mode, but we'll have even more available to you very soon."

No cheers. Not that Chronoa was expecting any.

"We plan to include a school that's designed for honing your skills, as well as item shops that are fully equipped with the best gear and skills you can ask for! As you can no doubt tell, Conton City is much, much bigger than Toki Toki City. To compensate for all this space, we've included little areas that look like they've been taken right out of history, like Planet Namek and Mount Paozu. There's lots to explore here."

Some murmurs amongst the crowd.

"In the future, we'd also like to add a bunch of new Parallel Quests as well as some odd jobs you can do to earn some more money. But enough of that - I'll need to remind you of a few things. Remember that firing energy attacks within city limits is strictly prohibited, just like in Toki Toki City. You're also not allowed to fly, but we've removed the inherent spatial limitation that has prevented you from doing that before. If you want to fly in Conton City, you'll need to obtain a flying license. To get one of those, you must prove your worth to us. In the meantime, you can ride around on some vehicles we plan to incorporate thanks to the assistance of Capsule Corporation, which will come soon."

Someone in the crowd shouted a "yes" in approval. Chronoa smiled to that.

"Do remember to never alter history. This hasn't happened before in our ranks, which is good, but it's important that I reiterate this. The Time Patrol's main purpose is to protect history from sudden changes. Should any point in time be altered significantly, the entire universe can be put under threat. Be careful when carrying out your missions."

Most people nodded. A handful of them were getting restless, itching to either explore this new home of theirs or simply wanting to get back to their jobs. Chronoa could tell. Luckily enough for them, her speech was about to end.

"With that in mind, please keep operating as you have been so far. Thank you all so much and have-"

"Is that part of the city?" an Earthling in the crowd asked, pointing towards a dark portal that had opened up in the skies within the settlement and completely interrupting Chronoa in the process. She was irritated by this, but also confused.

"No...I advise you all to stay back. It could be a leftover of Demigra's meddling. Maybe a villain from history will come out of it or something," she answered, turning around to face the portal. It was hovering near where the Time Nest's portal was, only serving to intrigue the Supreme Kai as well as Trunks, who was at the back end of the crowd.

"Something's coming out of it!" a female Majin Time Patroller exclaimed.

Indeed, something was coming through the shadowy depths of the unwelcome portal. Chronoa, Trunks and the rest of the Time Patrol were ready to fight whatever evil being would emerge.

But such a thing never took place. Instead, a turquoise figure was shot out, the portal dissipating soon after spitting the strange creature from it. The figure was unmoving, still, like it had been frozen in the coldest of tundras. It landed some ways away from the crowd. An eternity passed before the silence was broken.

"Everyone, go back to your missions. Trunks and I will take care of it," Chronoa took charge, nodding at the distant Trunks who had returned the gesture. The crowd dissolved after further murmurs. Nobody went in the general direction of the landing, leaving Chronoa and Trunks to investigate in peace.

 _1:55 PM - Age 851_

 _Conton City, Nearby the Time Nest_

Beside the clear and light-coloured portal to the Time Nest, the cyan figure landed without an injury. It was completely fine, though it did look foreign to Conton City, despite the wide range of races within the Time Patrol's ranks. The furred creature was fast asleep and completely unaware of its current predicament. Chronoa and Trunks were able to locate it without much issue.

"What is that thing?" the latter wondered aloud. "Almost looks like one of those anthropomorphic creatures you'd see in Earth's history…why is this guy wearing gloves?"

"And those shoes...I've never seen anything like them before. Specifically the pattern. Of course I've seen shoes before," Chronoa felt the need to clarify. "He's definitely not a Shinjin, Majin, Namekian or Frost Demon and clearly isn't a Saiyan or Earthling."

"He might not even be a male to begin with," suggested Trunks. "Do you think you can wake it up with your time powers?"

"It's possible, I guess. Might as well give it a try," the Supreme Kai of Time agreed. She walked up to the fallen creature and spread some time energy over it, hoping to be able to speed up its recovery from whatever was ailing it.

This worked. Chronoa and Trunks were met with the black pupils belonging to the otherworldly creature. It spoke with a young-sounding voice, implying that it wasn't ready for the interdimensional fate that it now carried.

"Where am I? This isn't Soleanna…" the creature eventually spoke.

" _Soleanna? What the heck is that?_ " Chronoa thought, completely not in the know of such a locale. "You're in Conton City, home to the Time Patrol. I'm its leader."

The creature paused as it looked at Trunks. "Trunks? You're here?" it asked the Saiyan.

"Huh? You know me from somewhere?" Trunks questioned. "I'm sorry, but I don't know you, whoever you are."

"But you look like him…" the unknown entity responded with a frown, which almost immediately replaced itself with a smile. "Oh! I'm Luster, Luster the Cat, and I'm not from around here."

And thus, the adventure continues.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a,_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ **Welcome back! Season 3 of Luster the Cat has officially started! ...sort of. Basically, consider this a 'soft launch'. I've posted the first chapter of the new season to whet your appetites until I'm ready to solely focus on it and push out new stories along with adaptations of Sonic games. I'm gonna be focusing on the Season 1 redux chapters, then after that, I'll redo aspects of Season 2, just to keep writing quality and in-universe content consistent across the board. I know I've retconned a faIr few things, so my slight rewrites of Season 2 stuff will fix all that. Expect Season 3 to continue around November-December time of this year (2018).**

 **If you're a new reader, hello! I hope you like what this chapter appears to offer. Be warned that Luster the Cat is mainly a Sonic fanfic series, so if you're mainly here for Dragon Ball content, then I'm sorry because that's not the focus here. But if you've enjoyed this for whatever reason (if you're also a Sonic fan or you just like my writing (insert self-deprecation joke here)), then you should probably read Seasons 1 and 2 first. This carries on right from the end of Season 2 and that carries on from Season 1, so yeah, read the earlier stuff first. I'm rewriting all that at the moment, so expect it to soon have writing quality on par with this chapter here.**

 **Anyway, whoever or whatever you are, please share Luster as a whole with your friends and post links to it wherever you can. I'd love to have more reviews, follows and favourites, so if you could share it on your social media platforms, forums, Discord/Skype groups and the like (please maybe a TVTropes page), that'd be great. Thanks for reading and please check out my other stuff! See you next time!**


	2. Uncharted Territory

**_Author Notes:_ This chapter had some weird formatting issues. Didn't notice them until like a few days after I uploaded it. Should be fixed now.  
**

* * *

 _Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Luster had been thrown across universes once again. Thanks to the work of some deictic being that he doesn't remember, the young cat found himself flung across the far reaches of the time-space continuum.

But instead of appearing in the same world as before, Luster was met with two strange people: Chronoa, the Supreme Kai of the Time Patrol and Trunks, a time-travelling Saiyan who resembled someone Luster met some time ago. Despite being in unfamiliar territory, Luster was confident that he could get back home. Maybe these people would help him out.

We now come back to right after we left off!

 _1:55 PM - Age 851_

 _Conton City, Nearby the Time Nest_

"Oh! I'm Luster, Luster the Cat, and I'm not from around here."

That was the last thing it said. Chronoa and Trunks stared at the anthropomorphic being in complete and utter confusion, bewildered beyond the limits of their imaginations. It wasn't entirely unheard of that such creatures existed in the universe's many timelines and planets, but what the stranger was saying was indeed unique.

After revealing his name, the cat went on to talk about where he came from. Turns out he was born on a planet called Mobius and after some stuff happened, that planet got merged with his universe's version of Earth. Prior to arriving in Conton City, Luster used to live in a huge mansion owned by a human friend of his (on Earth) alongside several other 'Mobians', who were just other anthros like Luster. Trunks was intrigued by all this. Chronoa, however, was finding this all to be familiar, as if she'd heard that exact story somewhere before. But she couldn't quite place where. As Luster kept explaining things, she was distracted by her familiarity.

"So, you're Trunks, right?" the Mobian asked the lavender haired Saiyan. "That's the name of someone I met in that other universe that I went to."

"Really? What's that Trunks like, then?" Trunks was very curious.

"He's pretty young, only a little older than me. But he's a pretty fun and energy-filled kinda guy," Luster answered the question. "Really strong too. Probably not as strong as you guys…"

"Oh, I get it now. You probably met an alternate timeline version of me," Trunks came to a realisation. "You see, the Trunks you met grew up with his family and had a good time in a world that wasn't being threatened by Androids. But the opposite of that happened to me. So the kid you met is a different version of the person you're talking to right now. Does that make sense? It's a pretty hard thing to wrap your head around. Even took me some time to figure it out."

"It makes sense...kinda," Luster shrugged. "My friend Tails told me about theories and stuff for that kind of thing. He made this machine that could bring alternate timeline versions of someone into our world. So I do kinda get it. You're a different Trunks."

"I see. You've had experience with this sort of thing," Trunks nodded in acceptance. "Anyway, I should probably ask, why are you here? Since you used to live in another dimension, what exactly brings you here to Conton City?"

"I…" Luster was stumped. He was silent, no answer coming from his mouth for a good few seconds. "I don't know. I was supposed to be in Soleanna to protect Princess Elise durin' the Festival of the Sun. Went to sleep the night before the festival, now I'm here. And I dunno why. There's somethin' about a 'Solaris', but I don't know what that is. Sounds important."

"Hmm...your memory's probably been altered," Chronoa came out of her mental distraction. "I can't say what caused it, though it might be something to do with that Solaris thing. Maybe it wiped a part of your memory and sent you here."

"But why would a being from another universe entirely know about this place? It seems odd that this 'Solaris' person would send Luster here, of all places," Trunks questioned.

"How would I know that? Luster has said that he went to a universe where he met the younger you...so he should theoretically be sent there instead of here. Maybe something about the Time Nest and Conton City's unique properties caused him to be magnetised to us? It's hard to say when we only know so little," Chronoa paused a little, as if she was getting closer to completing a puzzle.

"If that's why, then this Solaris person must be attuned towards time and space. Perhaps it holds the same position in Luster's universe that the Time Nest does here," Trunks added. "It's certainly an odd situation."

Luster was staring at the two blankly. He definitely understood the concepts of parallel universes, alternative timelines and such, but these two were throwing around nouns that he didn't know of. Thus he was lost in their little conversation. Trunks picked up on the cat's confusion.

"You probably don't know what we're talking about, do you?" the Saiyan asked. Luster nodded. "We should show you around the place. Or maybe we should sit down, have some food and explain everything to you about us. I think that sounds good…"

"I GOT IT!" Chronoa suddenly exclaimed. Trunks and Luster stared at the Supreme Kai of Time with confused looks on their faces. "Oh, right. Heh heh, kinda forgot you guys were there. But I think I just figured out where I know Luster from. Come with me. I'll explain everything."

The pink skinned Shinjin stepped into the mystical portal that laid behind the three. She disappeared, intriguing both Luster and further confusing Trunks. But the pair of them shrugged it off and followed her inside, with Trunks promising to explain this to Luster a little later.  
First, they had to deal with whatever shenanigans the Supreme Kai of Time was going through.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a,_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

On the other side of the portal was a huge, glass domed area, surrounded by wide fields of grass. There was a small lake with some trees hanging beside it and two buildings nearby. A white tiled path cut through the grass. It acted as a means for the area's residents to get to either one of the two buildings without disturbing the tranquility of nature.

Luster was amazed at all this. He remembered feeling the same way when he first laid his eyes upon the Thorndyke Mansion for the first time: absolute wonder and delight at the impressive grandeur of the place. But something felt very mystical about this area...something the cat couldn't explain.

Interrupting his thoughts, a hairy bird flew down from the skies above and perched itself on Chronoa's head, much to her displeasurement.  
"I thought I told you not to do that!" the Supreme Kai of Time voiced her distaste. Trunks and Luster held back laughter, though the Mobian was more obvious with it. "Ugh...anyway, meet Tokitoki. He's a special bird. I'll explain how he's so special a little later. Now, Tokitoki, I'd appreciate it if you'd get off me…"

The bird shook its head and remained there, at the expense of Chronoa's comfortability. She sighed, then the four of them pressed on. They all walked along the path, passing by the smaller round building to their right, which was actually Chronoa's house, and entering the other one. This one was known as the Time Vault. Still no explanations were given to Luster just yet.

Inside was absolutely massive. There was a round table in the middle of the single roomed building that had some markings on it. All along the walls were rolled up scrolls placed into little slots which kept the rounded pieces of mystical paper in place, preventing them from falling out. Luster couldn't count how many scrolls there were. There must have been over a thousand of them...perhaps there was an infinite amount. The inside of the building did seem a lot larger than on the outside, so that made sense to the cat.

"Okay, wait right here you two," Chronoa instructed both Trunks and Luster. With Tokitoki still perched on her head, the Supreme Kai of Time flew upwards and began to flick through various scrolls, seemingly searching for something in particular. It took some time, but she found precisely what she needed. She descended back down and went towards the round table, prompting Trunks and Luster to do the same.

"What's this?" Trunks wondered.

"Since Luster here has been to a world with a younger you in it, I figured that he must've showed up at some point in one of these Time Scrolls. That's when I remembered - he did show up! And this is it!" Chronoa seemed happy to have her suspicions confirmed. She held the scroll firmly in her hand. "Luster, this scroll contains the very time period in which you arrived on Goku's Earth."

"What? Really?" Luster's eyes widened.

"Yep! This is what's known as a Scroll of Eternity, but we just call them Time Scrolls because it's easier to say. They act as a lens in which we can view various events that have occurred across our history as well as the different timelines that are connected to our universe. Trunks and I are part of a special organisation called the Time Patrol - I'm the leader. He's more of…" Chronoa began to explain.

"A right hand man," Trunks filled in the blanks. "All I really do is help Chronoa with her duties. I also help out with maintaining the city and mentoring the Time Patrollers, the members of our group."

"Okay. So you guys are important," Luster understood. "What do ya do? Like, why do you have these time thingies?"

"Because the main purpose of the Time Patrol is to protect history from sudden changes. If a certain point in time is changed by an outside source - say if I go back in time - one of these scrolls will turn purple and be filled with a dark aura, indicating that a change has been made to the time period that that particular scroll holds. If we leave these changes as they are, then the very fabric of timespace could be destroyed," Chronoa continued to explain.

"We only have a limited number of spaces for scrolls here in the Time Vault. It's not infinite. There's only enough space for most timelines. Whenever a change in history is made, a fissure is caused within the Book of the Beginnings and Endings, creating another scroll. Too many scrolls, and the Time Vault will implode. Then the Time Nest will go with it. That will mean the end of the universe," Trunks wielded a more serious facial expression.

Luster felt the gravitas of all this information. "Whoa…"

"Indeed. We take our job very seriously here at the Time Patrol. We can't let anything bad happen to the universe or its history. That's why, if a change in history is made, we immediately go into the scroll whose history has been changed and correct it as soon as we can. We recently had an incident involving two villains who messed with history so they could take as much energy as they could from strong warriors. We beat them away, along with an evil wizard who wanted to rule over time. Although that wizard did leave behind some time distortions...I think we've mostly gotten rid of them all," Chronoa added.

"Yeah, for the most part. There might be one or two left, but that's about it," Trunks confirmed. 'That's the job we have. If someone were to change the history presented in that scroll the Supreme Kai of Time is carrying there, it would turn dark purple. We'd then have to go in and fix the source of the problem."

Luster nodded. He accepted and understood what was being told to him. It was very simple, much simpler than the theories Tails shared with him some time ago. Not even Chuck made those theory explanations any simpler.

"Okay! You guys are really important. You protect the universe from bein' destroyed. I get'cha," the cat said to the two big cheeses. "Can I see what's in that scroll? I really wanna know."

"This one? Sure. I was going to look at it anyway," Chronoa allowed this. She placed the scroll onto the table and unravelled it.

In the middle of the open scroll was a moving, black and white image of a familiar setting. A large, circular crater located within a rocky and dusty badlands. Two figures were staring down each other in the middle of the crater, while a large group of people were frozen at the top of one side of the shallow hole. There was a cluster of now-colourless gems behind one of the figures - Luster immediately recognised the scene.

"This is where I fought that Nazo guy! Wow, that was a while ago," Luster realised. "That was a really difficult fight. I remember he said somethin' about a guy called 'he'...I never forgot that. But I never figured out who 'he' was…"

"Is this person important?" Trunks asked the Mobian.

"Yeah. He has somethin' to do with my parents. I think he has them, but I dunno where he is. We've been searchin' for anythin' about him for ages now…" Luster answered. "I don't even know what kinda person he is. Probably evil."

"...With these time scrolls, I can also scan the entirety of the time period that the scroll leads to. That's how I know about your problems with your parents and that robot. I was able to learn what you told Goku and the others. I can't say that I relate to this very well, but I hope you find them someday," Chronoa sympathised with Luster.

"Thanks," Luster smiled in return. "I'm not really super upset 'bout it right now. Kinda over it. Heck, I don't even know a lot about my parents. I still really wanna rescue 'em."

"I'm not familiar with this time period...maybe I'll have to read up on it like you did, Chronoa," Trunks admitted, before he rolled the Scroll of Eternity back up and put it back where the Supreme Kai of Time pulled it out from.

As the Saiyan was doing this, Luster was given time to think. After all the time he and his friends back home had spent fighting Eggman, Metal Sonic as well as the Black Arms, very little information regarding his parents and their captor ever came up. All he managed to learn was that they lived in a place called Prylea Village prior to moving into that remote wooden house. There was something about his parents abandoning a battle with a nearby village which caused them to be hated and despised by Prylea's community, but Luster disliked that idea even then. He knew his daddy was a good person, er, Mobian. Trunks' return snapped him back to reality.

"I've realised something," Trunks started speaking to Chronoa. "We're going to need to send Luster back to his world soon. Shall I regather the Dragon Balls?"

"Uh, no, we can't use them. Don't regather them," Chronoa lied. "You probably don't know this, Trunks, but we'll need to spend some time extracting any negative energy that our set have built up over the course of us using them, so we can't use them right away. Sorry, Luster. We're not gonna be able to send you back right away." Trunks knew something was wrong with this. He didn't speak up, since the Supreme Kai of Time seemed to have a reason for it.

"Oh," Luster frowned, now made upset by this news. "How long's it gonna take?"

"A few days, at least," Chronoa told him. "Again, sorry. There's nothing I can do about that. At most, it'll take two weeks, so you won't be waiting too long. Although, there is something you can do in the meantime…"

"What can I do?" Luster wondered.

"You can work for us! If you accept the job, then you'll be fighting away any distortions and changes in history. I can tell you're strong, so you should be able to handle it well enough. I'll have Trunks show you how things work around here. We'll allow you to make full use of our facilities and shops. We'll even let you train as much as you like! You can become super strong here. Doesn't that sound good?" Chronoa persuaded the Mobian.

"I dunno...I really wanna get back home," Luster was unsure.

"Oh come on, please? Don't you wanna help us save history? You can be a hero!" Chronoa continued to persuade. "Hey Trunks, isn't it cool being a member of the Time Patrol...Trunks? Where'd you go?"

The Saiyan had left the Shinjin's side and was up in the air, investigating something in particular. He returned with a new Scroll of Eternity. But this one was purple and filled with an intense dark purple aura. Luster could tell something was up with it.

"While you guys were talking, this happened. This might be one of those remaining Demigra distortions," Trunks explained. "Let's see what's happening here."

He approached the round table and placed the new scroll down, unravelling it as before. In the middle of the paper was another colourless moving image, but instead of the Luster versus Nazo fight, this one was displaying a battle that was held between three Earthling-like figures and five aliens of a specific fighting force. Luster recognised two of the people involved.

"What's going on?" the cat asked.

"This...this is the time where Vegeta, Krillin and a young Gohan were fighting against the Ginyu Force on Namek," Trunks responded with a sense of urgency in his tone. "But where's the change? I don't see it…"

"There!" Chronoa pointed to a dark figure in the surroundings of the image. "Some...weird guy is there. I don't know who that is. Do you, Trunks?"

"No, I don't know either…" Trunks shook his head. He looked at Luster, then back at the dark figure. He swapped gazes multiple times over until he had enough of moving his head so quickly. "He kinda looks like you, Luster...is he also a Mobian?"

"Huh? Lemme see," Luster hadn't been viewing the scroll. He leaned over the table and watched the video that was playing in the paper. It was showing the dark figure garner the attention of the eight warriors before killing the one that seemed to be in charge of the five. "...I think I know him. But I also don't know him. Wha…?"

"He killed Ginyu?! This Mobian must be really strong...Luster, you should probably go in. If you think you know him, then you probably do. It might have something to do with Solaris and your wiped memories, so that's all the more reason to check it out," Trunks suggested.

"But he hasn't accepted my invitation to the Time Patrol yet!" Chronoa interjected.

"That shouldn't matter. As long as he remembers to solely focus on the problem that's caused the change in history to begin with, he'll be fine. Ginyu is definitely powerful. I'm not sure if Luster could beat him in a fight, but it's worth at least talking to that stranger if there's any chance that Luster can discover his lost memories. And this could be a good initiation process for him," Trunks tried to convince the Supreme Kai of Time.

Chronoa sighed. "Alright, we'll give it a try. Luster, do you think you can handle it? If something starts to go wrong, Trunks can easily come in and help out, so you won't have to worry about getting hurt too badly."

Luster didn't hesitate. "Yeah, I'll do it. I wanna figure out what the heck's goin' on with those memories I don't have anymore. If that guy knows about 'em, then I gotta go ask him. And I'll do my best to get rid of him, since he's causin' that distortion thingy."

"Good! Thank you very much, Luster! If you do this, you'll be a member of the Time Patrol, no questions asked!" Chronoa thanked her potential new recruit. "To enter the time period, just take the scroll and focus your mind on entering the history that the scroll shows. You can quickly return here by doing the same thing, but you think about appearing here instead of in there. Got it?"

"Yep. Hold scroll, think to get in, think to get out. I got it," Luster nodded in confirmation.

"Alright! Trunks and I will keep an eye on you to make sure everything goes smoothly. With my powers, I can do that. We can also telepathically speak to you, so don't worry about being alone or anything like that," Chronoa finished. "See you later!"

"See ya!"

Luster did as he was instructed. He rolled up the scroll and held it within his left gloved hand. The cat envisioned the environment that the moving image displayed, specifically the strange figure that they all assumed was a Mobian. Luster really wanted to meet this figure. The scroll heard his desire to do so and soon warped him to a particular point in history.

 _2:20 PM - Age 762_

 _Planet Namek_

Vegeta, the pointy haired Saiyan; Gohan, the half-Saiyan and half-Earthling crossbreed; Krillin, the pure Earthling. The three of them were desperately running towards a certain cliffside somewhere on the surface of Planet Namek. A planet whose grass was blue and sky was green. Certainly a strange one for the Earthlings, but after all the time they'd spent on the planet so far, they'd gotten used to it.

But the peculiarity of the environment wasn't on the forefront of their minds. They needed to reunite the seven Dragon Balls with one another, and they needed to do it fast. The dreaded Ginyu Force was about to show up and ruin everything for them. Vegeta feared them for their immense strength. Krillin and Gohan feared them even more. It was an encounter that neither of the three wanted to occur.

It occurred anyway.

"Would you happen to have the remaining Dragon Balls, Vegeta?" Captain Ginyu, the leader of the Ginyu Force, rhetorically asked the pure Saiyan. "I see five of them behind us and two of them in your hands. Lord Frieza would be pleased to have these. Now we have all seven of them assembled in one place…"

The five members of the Ginyu Force laughed menacingly, further instilling fear into the hearts of the three that stared them down. Vegeta was both irritated as well as terrified. Gohan and Krillin were truly petrified.

" _Vegeta was right...guys like me can't stand up to them! That purple guy's on an entirely different level than all of us!_ " Krillin realised, keeping careful hold of his Dragon Ball.

As the three of them tried to deal with the awful might of the Ginyu Force, a black and grey Mobian watched the scene from afar. None of the warriors below noticed him - they were deeply engrossed into their matter. That meant the Mobian could watch in peace.

" _What is this new world that I find myself within? This certainly isn't Mobius or Earth. And those creatures down there...they are unlike anything I have ever seen,_ " the Mobian wondered internally. " _Solaris' defeat...was I discarded here? But why...why have I been transported here, a world I do not know?_ "

As he watched Guldo, the weakest member of the Ginyu Force, use his time manipulation powers (which completely unaffected the Mobian) to steal Krillin's Dragon Ball, he realised his answer.

" _I see...that little one's power must have pulled me here after I was cast away from Solaris' body once those three hedgehogs eliminated it in its primordial state. I understand,_ " the Mobian guessed. He charged some purple energy in his hand. " _I am no longer in possession of the Chaos Emeralds or the Flames of Disaster, but I can still fulfill my desires. I must get rid of these creatures before they can stop me._ "

Just as the Mobian was ready to unleash his attack, Luster appeared beside the stranger, no longer holding the Scroll of Eternity that brought him here. The Mobian dissipated his dark energy sphere and turned his attention to the new arrival.

"Oh, it's you. I hadn't expected you to also be here," the Mobian greeted the cat.

"Wha? Ya know me? Hey, I bet'cha have somethin' to do with my lost memories, don't ya?" Luster remembered what Trunks and Chronoa were speculating.

"Perhaps I do. It doesn't matter to any of us, anyway. There is no way for us to return. It's pointless to think otherwise," the Mobian refused to answer directly. "I remember that you were a nuisance before. I think I will eliminate you, first."

Whoever this was, he certainly wasn't friendly. He aimed another energy sphere at Luster, aiming to kill him in a single shot. But staring at the dark figure before him, something awoke within Luster. The word, or name, that kept ringing through his mind…

" _Mephiles…_ "

Everything associated with that name spelled trouble for Luster. The cat immediately associated it with this stranger who was about to kill him. He now felt angered. Annoyed. Irritated. But he also felt fear. These emotions reached into his wiped memories and touched on something. His mind was reminded of the state he was in before being cast to Conton City. Not the state he was in while he was sleeping in the spare bedroom within Elise's castle, but the one he was in during the end of the timeline that was destroyed at the hands of three Mobian hedgehogs.

Luster's mind remembered that form. It was what he should be in now, it thought. Those thoughts rode on the wind of anger which was coursing elsewhere through his mind and created something unexpected.

"What?" the cat looked all around his body.

His fur was golden, his eyes were black and his power rose incredibly so. Even the Saiyans, the Earthling and the Ginyu Force were made aware of what was going on. Everyone stared at Luster. Chronoa and Trunks had been watching - they too found themselves bewildered.

"You...that form...how did you activate it without the Chaos Emeralds?!" Mephiles the Dark demanded to know.

"I…" Super Luster (?) had no exact answer for that. Even he was confused. "I don't know. When I saw you, I was angry, then I turned into this...I don't get it."

" _Is this because…_ " Chronoa said audibly at first through her telepathic system, before retreating to her thoughts in an attempt to figure things out.

Mephiles gazed at the sudden Super Luster for an eternity. Despite his smarts and knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds as well as their energy, Mephiles had no idea why this happened. He began fearing for himself. With the power that the Super Form possessed, he knew he'd he ended immediately if Luster wished it so. Even the dark Mobian's crystalline form would be no match. A plan was needed. And fast.  
Luckily for the artificial Mobian, a shadowy portal emerged from just above him. One light blue skinned hand emerged from it. It was connected to what appeared to be a red arm. Everyone in the immediate area watched as the hand grabbed Mephiles and pulled the Mobian into the portal. Once that was done, the portal disappeared, leaving Super Luster even more dumbfounded than before.

Everyone was confused.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ **Luster Season 3 is back! I know I said that I would focus on the Season 1 Redux chapters first, but after becoming a university student, I realised my schedule for those chapters would not work very well with my class schedule. Therefore, I decided to go with my Season 3 upload schedule, which should work better for now. I'll be solely focusing on this Season until it's done, which should be around the midpoint of next year, 2019, if I keep this schedule going consistently.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	3. Welcome to the Time Patrol

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

After Luster's arrival in Conton City, he informed the Supreme Kai of Time and Trunks about his situation. Cast away from the safety of Princess Elise's castle, thrown into a new world full of familiarity along with some lost memories. Trunks' appearance was especially familiar to the Mobian, as the Saiyan reminded him of someone else he once met that was also named Trunks. It was quickly realised that the Trunks who Luster met was actually an alternate timeline version of the Trunks in Conton City. This discussion was interrupted when Chronoa ushered the three into the Time Nest.

Once inside the Time Vault, located securely inside the Time Nest, Chronoa grabbed what she and Trunks called a Time Scroll - a device that acts as a gateway to specific time periods. The specific scroll she obtained from the vault was one that contained the period in which Luster faced off against Nazo, the God of Terror, reminding the turquoise cat of his ultimate goal to save his parents from whoever had them captive.  
But while the three of them were in the Time Vault, something went wrong. One of the other Time Scrolls became purple. That indicated a change in history. The Time Patrol was made specifically to combat that sort of thing, so this occurrence needed to be fixed. When they opened the scroll to see what time period was being messed with, they saw something peculiar.

A strange Mobian was observing the fight between Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin and the Ginyu Force on Namek. It even killed the leader of the Ginyu Force, Captain Ginyu himself. Figuring this Mobian to have something to do with Luster's missing memories, everyone insisted that the cat enter this time period to talk to the stranger. Once there, Luster found himself inexplicably angry at the stranger, whose named he barely remembered.

Mephiles. He was reminded very little of who this 'Mephiles' creature was. All that Luster knew was that this guy was incredibly manipulative and pure evil. In a sudden burst of rage, he transformed into his Super Form without the Chaos Emeralds, confusing both Mephiles and himself. Before a fight or any kind of meaningful conversation could break out, a mysterious hand appeared from a dark portal and snatched away Mephiles, leaving Luster totally confused.

We now come back to right after we left off!

 _2:15 PM - Age 851_

 _Inside the Time Vault_

Still in his mighty Super Form, Luster reappeared beside Chronoa and Trunks, an addled expression remaining on his face. The cat basically completed his mission - Mephiles was the time distortion. But he didn't fix it himself. Instead, that random hand did it for him. Someone so potentially important to him taken away without a moment's notice.

Lost in worry, Super Luster failed to notice the four other people who were right next to him.

"So this is what you called me here for…" the Elder Kai broke the veil of silence. "How interesting. And how very powerful this creature is indeed!"

"Old man…" Chronoa sighed, Tokitoki no longer perched on her head. "That shouldn't be our primary focus right now. There's a lot happening at the moment. Besides, I'm sure this is just a transformation of his."

"Oh, whatever. Power is power - it can't be ignored. But this creature shouldn't get in over his head! There's still a long way for him to go!" Elder Kai forcefully advised.

Super Luster stared at the wrinkly Shinjin with even more confusion that he'd already mustered at that point. "What? Who's this guy?"

"That's the Elder Kai. He helps us with mentoring the Time Patrollers," Trunks informed the super Mobian. "He...has a bit of an eccentric personality."

"Are you kidding me? I'm a 'that'?! I am, at the very least, a 'he'! Refer to me as such!" Elder Kai demanded. He seemed to be throwing some kind of childish tantrum, highly unbefitting of a being his age.

Chronoa silenced everybody.

"Alright, come on, let's not get too distracted here. We need to focus on the important stuff right now. First of all...Luster. What's this transformation of yours? Are you also a Saiyan?" Chronoa asked the cat.

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not a Saiyan. This is just my Super Form," Super Luster explained. "Some of us Mobians can access it, but the only way you can do it is if Chaos, the guy who controls the Chaos Emeralds, makes you an Avatar of Chaos. That's why only some of us have this form."

"The Chaos Emeralds...those were involved in that time period where you fought that Nazo creature. But if you need them to access this transformation, then why can you suddenly access it so freely?" Chronoa continued asking.

"I dunno. It'll go away if I use a whole lot of energy or if I wait like a week, if you're worried 'bout that," Luster recalled what others had told him about the form.

"It has a time limit? That explains it, then," Chronoa realised the truth. "One of Conton City's special properties revolves around time limited transformations and fusions. In short, those kinds of things have no time limit here. Though that doesn't explain why you can suddenly transform into that state...do you remember if you were in this form before you got sent here?"

Luster thought for a moment. He knew he wasn't like this while at Elise's castle, although there was something deep within him that told him otherwise. "I don't know," was his response.

"So even that has something to do with your wiped memories…" Chronoa assumed. "See if you can turn it on and off at will, like Trunks can with his Super Saiyan. Your Super Form could be very useful to us. It'll be good to know how reliable it is."

"This Trunks is a Super Saiyan too? Ha, cool," Super Luster smiled upon hearing that, still finding the Super Saiyan transformation to be incredibly awesome. "But yeah, I'll try."

Imagining how he previously powered down while using the Super Form normally, Luster soon found his power slowly edging away from him. His golden fur returned to its natural light blue. He was no longer in his Super Form.

And then he reversed that process. Luster didn't quite know how to ignite the spark of transformation on his own, but when a strong surge of a desire to do so shot through his mind like a bullet, the cat transformed once again. The immense change in power between Luster's two states shocked everyone else in the room, purely due to how much of a gap there was.

" _Are those Chaos Emeralds really responsible for all that strength?_ " Trunks wondered internally.

"I guess I can transform as much as I want. And I can stay in it as long as I want! Awesome!" Luster really appreciated that. "Then there's no way anybody's gonna beat me! The Super Form's invincible, y'know. I can just use that and beat away ALL the bad guys!"

Elder Kai narrowed his eyes. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Huh?" Luster was broken away from his power fantasy. "Why not? Isn't it good that I can do that?"

"In some perspectives, yes, that is a good thing. But it's not good if you solely rely on that power. Strength given to you from an outside source can give you quite the big head," Elder Kai argued.

"Old man, don't you unlock other people's potential, which is essentially just a huge power boost…?" Chronoa brought up.

"Quiet! I'm being serious!" Elder Kai exclaimed. He turned his attention back to Luster. "Anyway, if you were to keep relying on that transformation, you'll find that you will lack confidence in your base form's capabilities. Since Conton City's special properties is what allows you to transform at will, when you leave this dimension to go home, you're not going to be able to do that anymore. Therefore, you shouldn't let that Super Form's power go to your head."

"Uh, okay…" Luster tried to piece together what the old Shinjin was saying. "So I've gotta focus on how I am normally?"

"Yes! Exactly that!" Elder Kai nodded. "The stronger you get normally, the stronger you will be when you transform. There's no reason not to train your base level self."

Out of nowhere, Trunks cut into the conversation. "I've got just the thing for that. Luster, power down and follow me."

"Okay…" Luster didn't know why Trunks was asking this. The Mobian did it anyway. He de-transformed and followed him out of the Time Vault, leaving Chronoa and Elder Kai alone.

The Supreme Kai of Time sighed. She glanced at the Scroll of Eternity which Luster used just earlier, as it was laying down on the round table in the middle of the vault, all rolled up. Inside, she worried. She worried and feared what was potentially to come.

"Y'know, old man...I saw the hand that grabbed that other Mobian," the Supreme Kai of Time told him.

"Hmm? You did? Who was it?" Elder Kai asked.

Chronoa paused. "It belonged to Towa."

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

Trunks and Luster appeared in that same circular, white stone paved area that they were in before they followed Chronoa into the Time Nest. From here, Luster was able to get a good view of Conton City - his new temporary home.

And it was amazing. There were so many things to see, so many different points of interest...Luster wanted to look at it all. However, Trunks refused.

"We've got some things to take care of right now," the Saiyan told the Mobian. "I want to see strong you are in your base form. I'm gonna set up a Free Battle for you."

"A what?" Luster, of course, didn't know what that was.

"Free Battle. It's a system designed by my mother, who you can probably guess is Bulma. In fact, she created all the robots and technical systems you'll see around the city," Trunks began to explain. "The Free Battle system allows you to set up any kind of battle with any warrior from history, or you can set up a battle with another Time Patroller. You can choose the location, the time limit and any other stipulations for your fight. Hence 'Free' Battle. You can also choose to fight in - or against - a squad of other fighters. With that, you can either decide to have that squad appear all at once, one after the other, or you could have it so that two, three or four people appear first and then the rest appear later. And if I remember correctly, there can only be up to five people on a single squad. That's enough for whatever scenario you might want."

"Okay, sounds cool! So, uh, who're you gonna put me up against?" Luster wondered.

"The Ginyu Force. You know, those guys that Gohan, Vegeta and Krillin were fighting while you were talking to that other Mobian. His name was Mephiles, right?"

Luster nodded. "Yeah. Still don't know anythin' about that guy, but I feel like I know 'im from somewhere."

"I think you'll remember eventually. You've got to at some point," Trunks then realised something. "Oh, we never actually initiated you into the Time Patrol, did we? That means we can't give you a flying license."

"That's…?"

"It's just what we give to Elite Time Patrollers. Since we can't really trust everybody to fly around the place, we give these licenses to those that prove their worth. I guess at this stage, you're pretty much already a Time Patrol member. So you've just got to prove your worth now."

Luster got an idea. "Hey, if I beat those Ginyu Force guys, can I get that license?"

"I don't know...we usually give those things to Patrollers who do something truly impressive. Like beating Frieza or something," Trunks was unsure.

"Isn't my Super Form good for that?"

Trunks seemed to remember something. "Oh yeah! That reminds me. I've got a stipulation for you. During your battle against the Ginyu Force, you won't be able to transform. If you try to, you'll immediately lose. Actually, I think that'll be fair...clear this challenge and I'll get Chronoa to give you a flying license. How's that?"

"I'll take it! Clearin' that challenge is gonna be so easy," Luster grinned in his naivety.

"I'm not so sure about that…"

Trunks grinned in a sly manner, immediately cancelling out Luster's own confident grin and replacing it with a small drop of worry within the young cat's mind. With his inherent immunity to the flying law, Trunks flew Luster across the Recreation Plaza and underneath the huge dome beside the holographic statue. They landed, then began walking towards the leftmost circular building, which housed several Capsule Corporation brand robots.

"Free Battle…" Luster read out one of the repeating signs on the side of the building.

"This is it. I'll do the setup for you. It's not going to matter where you fight, is it?" Trunks asked the light blue Mobian, who shook his head in response. "Got it. I'll just have the system choose a random arena. It should only take a minute to get this ready."

Luster waited while Trunks did what he needed. The male Saiyan typed on the holographic keyboard and changed various settings on the holographic screen, both emerging once Trunks asked the robot to make them do so. Before long, Luster was surrounded by a circular white aura and whisked away.

 _Unknown Time - Unknown Date_

 _Wasteland, Free Battle_

Now within a dusty, rocky and hilly landscape, Luster had to quickly get his bearings. His opponents hadn't arrived just yet, meaning he was at least given some time before the storm came in.

" _I can still talk to you through the same telepathic process that Chronoa mentioned earlier,_ " Trunks started to converse with the Mobian.

" _Okay, cool. When're my opponents gonna show up?_ " Luster replied, mentally.

" _Any second now. You'll be facing them mostly one after the other, though you'll fight two of them at once for a reason. I'll explain why when you get to them,_ " Trunks explained. " _Oh, here comes your first challenger! Good luck, this guy's got a trick up his sleeve. See if you can figure it out._ "

Just as Trunks finished speaking, a small green alien with four eyes flew into the battlefield. Luster sensed his foe's Ki level…only to find disappointment.

" _Uh, Trunks? I thought you said these guys were strong. This guy isn't strong at all,_ " Luster pointed out.

" _Guldo? Yeah, he's easily the weakest member of the Ginyu Force. Remember what I said about his trick. Looks can be deceiving._ "

The cat doubted that this 'Guldo' person possessed any real strength. He wondered what kind of trick that the green alien could have. Perhaps he was super fast like Sonic, or super smart like Tails. Maybe super strong like Knuckles? Luster had no way of telling.

Guldo approached the Mobian. Both combatants stood firmly on the ground.

"You're just a rat! A stupid rodent! I can beat you all by myself! I don't even need everyone else!" Guldo claimed, overly confident.

"Are you sure about that? 'Cause I really don't think you can," Luster returned.

"Ngh!" the weakest member of the Ginyu Force grunted. "I'll show you what I mean!"

He threw a punch, but Luster easily sidestepped it. Guldo tried some more fisticuffs. Yet, none of those worked either. With each failed punch, Guldo became increasingly agitated. Luster was tired of dodging all the time so he decided to use a single kick on the green man, sending him flying into a nearby rock formation. It took some effort to pull himself out of the rocks. Guldo had already taken a large amount of damage.

"Y-you...you rat! I didn't think I'd have to use this on you, but I have no choice!"

The green being of unknown race pinched his fingers together and held them to create a certain pose. Luster could sense him gathering up energy - this felt very different. Though the cat wasn't able to feel anything for much longer. He was frozen. Guldo was not.

" _That pathetic rat deserves this! Now I'll make him pay for underestimating me, the Ginyu Force's time-stopping warrior, Guldo!_ " the time-stopper thought to himself, unable to speak since he was holding his breath. " _I need to hurry, or else I won't be able to hold my breath, meaning that the rat can finish me off! There's no way I'm letting that happen! So what do I throw at him…_ "

Guldo scanned his immediate environment for any kind of weapon. With his telekinetic powers, he could easily pick up something, like a boulder, and then throw it at his opponent. That's exactly what he did. A boulder soon found itself thrust upon the frozen Mobian. Just before the rock made contact, Guldo let go of his grasp on his breath, thus also unfreezing time.

"Huh? What-" Luster was dazed. Soon his thoughts were centred solely on the boulder that was just about to smash against him, leaving him very little time to react. He was then buried underneath the huge concentration of earth.

"That's what you get for daring to challenge the mighty Ginyu Force! Go back to whatever planet you came from!" Guldo taunted his foe. But then, he saw something he didn't expect.

After some seemingly random rumbling, the boulder was shot up into the air by a beam of energy fired by the one who'd been trapped underneath it. Luster jumped out of the way by the time the rock came crashing down to the ground. This manoeuvre surprised Guldo to no end. As Luster was staring at the Ginyu Force member with an irritated look, Guldo unleashed a torrent of worrisome sweat.

"What?! I thought that did you in! How's that even possible...how did you do that?!" Guldo demanded to know the truth.

"Huh? You saw what I did. I just fired a Ki wave," Luster didn't understand what his opponent was so mad about. "I'm not sure how you did that, but it felt like somethin' Shadow would do. Like a Chaos Control or whatever. And if ya really are like that, then I'm gonna hafta stop ya as soon as possible. Bye, Guldo!"

Guldo feared for his life as Luster pointed a simple energy wave at the alien's direction. He didn't even bother to run, since he was far too terrified to do so. The Ginyu Force member was vaporised by Luster's fast energy attack.

" _Excellent work!_ " Trunks commented, still telepathically. " _But there's still four more members to go. Do you want to continue?_ "

" _Yeah, I can handle the next guy,_ " Luster replied.

" _About that...you're not going to be fighting one person. Just take a look_."

Right when Trunks finished conveying his message, a red skinned alien who had white hair appeared alongside a tall, blue one. Both were wearing the same kind of armour, just as Guldo was, meaning that these two newcomers were a part of the same group. Luster could tell that these guys were a lot more powerful than Guldo. In fact, they were a bit more powerful than him.

And there were two of them. Luster could feel the sweat that was now sliding down his fur. Perhaps this was how Guldo was feeling.

"Oi, you! You're that rat we've gotta beat up, aren't you?" the red one rhetorically asked. "Challenging the Ginyu Force will be your last mistake! I'm the Red Magma of the Ginyu Force, Jeice!"

"I am the Blue Hurricane, Burter! I'm the fastest in the universe!" the blue one, Burter, claimed.

Luster smiled, as if he was holding back laughter. "Heh, maybe in this universe...if you ever met Sonic, he'd run circles all around you!"

'Huh?!" Burter was surprised to hear this, but he calmed down. "Nice try, you rat. That sort of thing's not going to work on me!"

"Yeah, same here! Let's take 'im on together, Burter!"

"I would love to, Jeice!"

Before Luster could converse with Trunks, both Jeice and Burter charged straight ahead at the cat. He was knocked away by a powerful punch from Jeice, then a forceful slam from Burter sent him crashing into the rocky ground. Luster pulled himself back onto his feet. He'd sustained some serious damage from that combination of blows - this battle certainly wasn't going to be easy. Neither of his two opponents allowed him any opportunity to stop and think. They kept rushing down the Mobian constantly, never giving him any breathing room. Luster was overwhelmed.

The light blue cat was sent far away after a repeated barrage of blows were inflicted upon him while Burter and Jeice were enveloped in blue and red auras (respectively), using some technique they referred to as 'Purple Comet Hurricane'. Finally, the attacks let up, if just for a little while. It was at least enough for Luster to try and figure out what was what.

" _Trunks?! I can't fight these guys! They're way too strong! Maybe if it was just one of 'em, but I bet that'd be really hard too…_ " Luster complained internally.

" _Have you ever fought against two strong opponents at once before?_ " Trunks wondered.

" _Uh…_ " Luster thought about that. " _No. I've only really fought people once at a time. There's no way I can fight against two people that are both stronger than me!_ "

" _I see. Then there's no point having you there right now. We'll consider this a failure. Maybe you'll get your flying license another time_ ," Trunks sighed. " _Look on the bright side. You might be only this powerful now, but that just means there's plenty of room for you to grow. Luckily, Conton City is just the place for that._ _I'm bringing you back now._ "

As Luster was whisked away from the danger of battle, leaving Burter and Jeice behind, he immediately caught on a particular thing that Trunks said. Something about Conton City being just the place for growth. Luster was curious; he wanted to see precisely what Trunks meant about that. How would Conton City provide him the growth he required? It wouldn't take him long to find out.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_


	4. Meeting the Ace

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Following the cat's return from his encounter with Mephiles the Dark on Namek, he returned to the Time Vault, covered in the almighty glory of his Super Form. Trunks, Chronoa and the recently-arrived Elder Kai were wondering just what this state was - Luster promptly explained it. He didn't know why he suddenly transformed into it since the Chaos Emeralds were nowhere to be seen. Chronoa theorised that it had something to do with Conton City's unique properties, the same thing that allows various time-limited fusions to remain combined as long as they want. Luster was initially very happy to hear that he could now stay in the Super Form for a while.

However, Elder Kai had other ideas. He dispelled Luster's power fantasy and insisted that the Mobian remained in his base form for maximum effectiveness in training. The cat agreed to this, prompting Trunks to take the cat over to the Free Battle counter, which was manned by several Capsule Corporation brand robots.

Trunks set up a battle against the Ginyu Force for Luster. On the Wasteland stage, Luster had to fight the members of Frieza's once elite battle group without transforming. He was strong enough to take care of Guldo handily, but the individual might of Jeice and Burter was too much for him - their combined strength put them in a whole other league. Trunks pulled Luster out of the Free Battle, stating that Conton City is just the place for growth. Curious, the cat allowed himself to be returned to the home of the Time Patrol.

We now come back to right after we left off!

 _3:00 PM - Age 851_

 _Conton City, Free Battle Counter_

A flash of white, temporal aura dissipated from the turquoise furred figure. Luster was back, but badly damaged. Trunks got a good look at just how horribly the cat had been beaten by Burter and Jeice. The Saiyan decided that a particular item was needed.

"Here, take this. It should make you feel better," Trunks handed Luster a capsule.

The cat stared at the unknown item in confusion. It had a picture of two black stars on it and some blue highlights. Without speaking, Luster tilted his head at the one who gave him the capsule in the first place.

"It's an Energy Capsule, of the Z variety. Hold it near your open mouth and press the button. That'll restore all of your health," Trunks explained.

Satisfied with such an explanation, Luster followed his new friend's instructions. Immediately after pressing that button - Trunks was proven right. Luster felt a whole lot better. All of his bruises quickly faded. No longer was he tired.

"That was cool! So that's an Energy Capsule...I think Tails and Chuck would be really interested in that kinda thing," Luster commented, now re-energised. "Got any more of those?"

"Uh, yeah. Capsules are plentiful around here. Especially since my mother makes and provides them for us," Trunks answered. "Who're Tails and Chuck? Friends of yours?"

"Yep," Luster happily nodded. "They're both into machines and stuff like that. That's why I think they'd be interested in these capsule thingies. Hey, when it's time for me to go home, can I take some of 'em with me?"

"I don't see why not. Maybe if you're helpful enough, I might see about letting you take some more other stuff…" Trunks considered the request. "That reminds me. Remember what I said about Conton City being the place for growth? Well, I'm mainly talking about all the different shops and facilities we have."

Luster tilted his head again.

"Don't worry. I'll explain. You see, whenever a Time Patroller completes a Free Battle, they earn money, which we call Zeni. Even if they're unable to win the fight, they still earn some. You should have received Zeni from your fight with the Ginyu Force…"

Luster straightened his head and felt something odd from within his Hammerspace. Figuring it to be a foreign object, the cat reached in, surprising Trunks. He soon pulled out a handful of silver coins that each had the letter 'Z' in the middle of them as well as some bank notes that had some guy's face on them.

"Is this it?" Luster wondered.

"Yes, that's Zeni. Free Battles don't give you much, but it's a viable option if you only need a small amount. Say you're only a few Zeni short of something - you'll want to do a Free Battle. However, that's not the only way to earn Zeni. We also have something called Parallel Quests."

Luster put his Zeni away and continued listening.

"Parallel Quests are different timelines created by what is known as 'Time Fragments'. Those come from distortions in history. We're able to connect to them thanks to the systems that my mother's company created in tandem with the Supreme Kai of Time's abilities. Sometimes, Time Fragments can be in a physical form - we call those Time Shards. Parallel Quests have differing objectives and failure conditions. They also may change drastically as you go along them. For example, you could be fighting on someone's side, but then they'll end up being your enemy. They can be dangerous, although we've never had any real problems with any quests. Though there was that one where Goku and his family would keep using their most powerful Kamehameha techniques...I think we've balanced that one out by now."

Trunks chuckled a little, confusing Luster for a moment. Then the explanations started up once again.

"Should you complete a Parallel Quest, you'll earn a ranking based on how well you did. You'll also receive some Zeni and maybe some items, depending on if the random item generator feels nice enough that day. Heh. Anyway, you can challenge a particular Parallel Quest as much as you like, so if you beat it, it's not like it's never going to be available again. Oh, I should mention...if you fulfill specific hidden requirements within a Parallel Quest, you might enter a mode where a powerful enemy or two might appear. Failing that mode won't mean you'll lose the Parallel Quest as a whole. It does mean that you'll lose access to greater rewards, so it's in your best interest to not lose at all."

"How many Parallel Quests are there?" Luster asked.

"Potentially infinite. New ones keep showing up every now and then. Sometimes the contents of those timelines can be...strange, to say the least. I think I found one that took place in some kind of timeline-wide tournament. You'd think that'd be something we'd be closely involved with."

"Whoa, infinite?! That sounds super awesome!' Luster paid more attention to that. "So uh, what am I supposed to do with all this Zeni stuff? Didn't you say there were shops or somethin'?"

"That's right. Follow me."

Trunks motioned for the Mobian to walk beside him. Both Time Patrollers walked over to the circular plaza that was right in front of the huge set of stairs, the one that led to the Time Nest for those that were bound to the ground. During the walk, Luster was able to drink in the air and absorb the general environment of Conton City - it was a nice place. Certainly could've been thrown into somewhere worse.

"You see these dome shaped buildings?" Trunks pointed to one of them as the pair stopped in front of a holographic statue. "Each one houses a different shop. You've got the Item Shop for things like Energy Capsules, Power Capsules and Antidote Capsules. There's the Clothing Shop for purchasing or selling special pieces of clothing that increase your attributes, the Mixing Shop which sells materials for you to make your own capsules with, the TP Medal Shop is one that deals in Time Patrol Medals rather than Zeni - I'll explain those later. We've got the Timespace Delivery. That's basically just our postal service. The Supreme Kai of Time thought of the name, as you can probably tell."

As the Saiyan mentioned the name of each shop and service, he pointed to each one as a means of visual communication. Luster couldn't help but notice that one thing seemed to have been left out.

"What about that one?" Luster pointed towards the one that Trunks skipped.

"I was saving it for last, since it's probably the most intriguing one. That is the Skill Shop. There, you can buy techniques for use in battle. We sell all kinds of moves, particularly ones that have been used in history. You could learn Goku's Kamehameha, Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon or my father's Galick Gun," Trunks said with a small smile.

"Is your dad Vegeta?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah. You know, I should probably learn that Galick Gun technique...that other me knows it, so there's no excuse for me not knowing it. Anyway, I don't think you got a lot of Zeni from that failed battle against the Ginyu Force, so you're not going to be able to buy anything that's really worth anything. In my opinion, that is. You should get stronger so that you'll be able to beat the harder Parallel Quests. The harder they are, the better rewards you'll get. Keep that in mind."

"Cool! All this stuff kinda reminds me of a video game...that makes it even more cooler!"

"A video game? That's ridiculous," Trunks laughed off such a perplexing and strange idea. "Now, I'd like to train you myself, but since I'm the right hand man to the Supreme Kai of Time, I'm very busy. Luckily, I've got someone in mind to take my place…"

Luster's purple haired humanoid friend called up a certain someone on his communications device. Someone very familiar to everyone in the Time Patrol. To Luster, the meaning of the holographic statue became clear to him very soon.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

In time, the man appeared. His hair was a solid dark shade of red. He wore a white cape, similar to the one worn by the three-eyed human Tien, possessed a blue Capsule Corporation shirt as well as a yellow undershirt. All these different colours gave the man a hint of diversity. Perhaps he was trying to resemble a culmination of the universe's history.

But to Luster, the man looked pretty cool. He was very, very powerful too. The cat could tell that he didn't want to get on this person's bad side.

"Ace! I'm glad you could make it," Trunks greeted the man.

"Not a problem, Trunks. I'm always happy to help wherever I can," the man, Ace, responded with a positive nod. He then turned to Luster. "So this is the guy you want me to train? What race is he?"

"Well, he's not from this universe. He is in one timeline related to this universe, though, but he primarily comes from a different world, one that is a combination of his Earth and his home planet, which is called Mobius. So it's two planets in one," Trunks answered Ace's question. "That makes him a Mobian. There's a lot more like him back at his home."

"Oh, I see. Wait, was he the one that fell out of that portal when the Supreme Kai of Time was announcing Conton City earlier?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, that's him. His name's Luster. I'm pretty busy at the moment. Chronoa's just called me over - apparently there's something important that I need to know. If you could train Luster for me, that'd be great."

"Certainly, of course. I'll show him the ropes of the Time Patrol, Conton City and everything around it. Good thing I had that talk with the Supreme Kai of Time...this place is way too confusing to figure it all out on my own," Ace accepted the request.

"Great. Thanks again, Ace. I'll see you later," Trunks thanked his partner once more.

"You're welcome, Trunks. I'll see you later, too," Ace returned the sentiment.

With a shared smile between them, Trunks left the area through the power of flight. While this exchange had been going on between the two, Luster was swapping glances between Ace and the holographic statue. Ace and the holographic statue. Ace. Statue. Ace. Statue. Ace? Ace!

"Are you okay?" the Time Patroller asked the Mobian.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm okay," Luster nodded, snapping himself out of his self-made trance. "Are you the guy in the hologram there?"

Ace turned towards the statue. And then he sighed. "Yep, that's me, alright...I understand why Trunks asked the Supreme Kai of Time about having this in the new city, but I dunno...it kind of feels...impersonal? Like I'm boasting about myself? Granted, I did save the Time Patrol that one time, but I still feel like this statue's unnecessary."

"What did you do?" Luster wondered, now curious.

"Well, about a year ago now, there were these two people called Towa and Mira. They were travelling across time and making changes to history. Those two kept harvesting the energy created by those changes for a reason I can't really remember. But then, an evil Demon God called Demigra escaped from a seal that was placed on his prison, the Crack of Time. He threatened to kill us all, so we had to stop him. I ended up beating him with the help of the spirits of some legendary warriors," Ace recounted his trials.

"What about Towa and Mira? Didn't ya get them?"

"I got Mira, but we never went after Towa. She's been laying low for a while and hasn't done anything to affect the timestream - not yet. And since we can't pinpoint her location, we haven't been able to go after her. We've been watching out for her ever since."

"Okay…" Luster thought about this. "So they're just some bad guys we gotta beat down if they show up, right? No problem! I can beat 'em with my Super Form!"

"Super Form? Oh right, Trunks mentioned that. He told me he wants you to focus on your base form...though I suppose there's nothing wrong with us having a little sparring session in our strongest transformations."

"Yeah! Wait, what? You can transform, too? Are you a Saiyan like Trunks?"

Ace grinned.

"I'm a Saiyan, yeah. I only recently learned Super Saiyan 3. Trunks can't even reach Super Saiyan 2, but he's pretty close to doing that. Does your Super Form have multiple levels or grades like Super Saiyan does, or is it just a one grade thing?"

"Uh, it's just one. Sonic's said somethin' about a transformation beyond the Super Form. He's never told me anythin' else about that," Luster told the Saiyan.

"This Sonic person must be a friend of yours...alright, I understand. I wanna see how strong you are for myself, both in your regular state and then your Super Form. From there, I can see how I should go about training you. Does that sound good?"

"Yep! I'm totally ready!"

Luster was very excited to get started - Ace could tell. With an encouraging grin, the Tokitoki City Future Warrior led the light blue furred Mobian back over to the Free Battle counter. A match was set up between Ace and Luster. This time, no restrictions. Luster was happy to finally be able to show off the power of his Super Form.

 _Age ?_

 _Earth From an Unknown Time_

A ruined world. Within the evil, murky sanctity of the purpled misted city, lied the malicious gatherings of multidimensional forces. Amongst all the broken and long destroyed buildings, a tall, multi coloured alien whose appearance reeked of deadly intent and enticement stood alongside the inorganic Mobian that she pulled from the depths of that blue grassed planet.

Mephiles the Dark, the inorganic one, seemed even more confused at his situation than he'd ever been before. Towa, the alien, sensed the dark being's potential. She explained who she was, but not what she wanted exactly. She couldn't give away the truth so easily, even as Mephiles kept up with the questions.

"Towa...you are certainly strange. A being with powers similar to mine, using them for a different purpose in a different world. You must want me for something, don't you?" Mephiles asked.

"You're persistent. Perhaps in a good way," Towa readied herself to lie. "If you must know the truth, then it's because I'm very interested in you, Mephiles. Not only am I a resident of the Demon Realm, I am a scientist. I can tell you're not an organic creature. When I sensed a disturbance in history and found you there, on Namek, I knew you were special. Perhaps, I thought, I could enhance my own research by studying you."

"Do you really think that I would allow myself to return to being a test tube subject? I don't care for your plans and scientific interest," Mephiles shook his head, strongly denying Towa's supposed desires.

"I wouldn't dare subject a fine creature such as yourself to that, unless it was necessary to do so. Which is what I've had to do with my greatest achievement," Towa frowned. "His name is Mira. He was my best, my most powerful creation. But he was brought down by those who got in my way. Those who believe in justice. I simply wish to restore him and gain revenge against those fools who took down my Mira."

"Being an outsider, why should I care?" Mephiles questioned.

"You don't have to. It's just what I want," Towa answered, still keeping her frown. "I'll make a deal with you. If you become my underling, I will give you whatever you want. As I said, I am a scientist, so I can easily improve you if you so wish. Or there might be something else you want…whatever it is, I can give it to you."

Mephiles thought for just a moment, before returning to speech.

"Is is not foolish to offer me such a vague reward? And what if I said I was fine as I am now?" the dark Mobian continued to ask.

"It's tempting, is it not? You could ask for anything, just as long as you become my underling. We can split up once I finish rebuilding Mira," Towa returned. "Scientific enhancements will always be on the table if you change your mind."

Mephiles returned to his thoughts. " _She is smarter than I initially thought...this might make my plans more difficult to execute. But still…_ "

" _This Mephiles person, rather, Mobian, is quite fascinating. He's probably the type to crave destruction...I can use that_ ," Towa also retreated to her mind temporarily.

Once the two were finished secretly scheming against one another, the conversation resumed with a topical question.

"What of those nuisances you spoke of? The ones that brought down your creation, Mira?"

"The Time Patrol? They could get in our way...if we act in absolute secrecy, it'll be difficult for them to pinpoint us. I assume that other Mobian is working with them...that power of his can be very tricky to work with. But I've dealt around powerful beings before. This won't be any different. You won't have to worry about them...at least not too much."

"I see…" Mephiles paused to think some more. "I will only accept on one condition: you reunite me with Iblis, the Flames of Disaster."

"What is that?" Towa was curious. " _Another inorganic creature?_ "

"If Iblis and I are merged together using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, then a being of true deictic strength shall be reborn. Solaris, the God of Time. With its power, we can destroy anything that might pose a threat to our plans," Mephiles explained, his memories completely intact.

"A god that is powerful in one universe might not be seen as such in another. Just what can this 'Solaris' really do?"

"You might say that it eats dimensions for lunch."

Towa's eyes widened, as did her mouth. She was completely agape and absolutely surprised. Surprised to the very core of her being. Having such power...it meant everything to her. She could very well rewrite reality to her liking with that kind of strength…! It teased her. The potential was there. She had to go for it.

"I understand," Towa composed herself. "Then I accept your conditions. I will look for the Flames of Disaster and those Chaos Emeralds. You will need to tell me what they look like."

"Certainly. I will be happy to help you...Master Towa."

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_


	5. The Flames of Time

_Last time, on Luster the Cat..._

Proceeding his failure against the Ginyu Force's Jeice and Burter, Luster returned to Conton City; somewhat dejectedly. His inability to defeat the ones who were not even the evil group's strongest fighters made the young cat upset for a little while. But hope was not lost. Trunks promised Luster that he could grow much stronger during the latter's stay in the Time Patrol's home. Intrigued, the Mobian allowed Trunks to explain a few things. Namely about Parallel Quests, Time Fragments, Time Shards, the different shops (including the Timespace Delivery) and the currency reward system that the quests have in place.

Luster was keen to start training and utilising these different shops - mostly the Skill Shop, but Trunks revealed that he was unable to help out the cat for much longer due to work. However, someone else took the Saiyan's place: Ace, the Future Warrior and Trunks' partner. The very hero who defeated Demon God Demigra about a year ago. Luster was amazed to have such an instructor and before long, the training began.

We now come back to shortly after we left off!

 _Unknown Time, Unknown Date_

 _Kami's Lookout, Free Battle_

A white gloved fist met with its new friend: a white and slightly pinkish hand. This meeting was repeated immediately after by the free hands both fighters possessed. Luster struggled against the might of the Future Warrior. It seemed as if the cat was going to fail - he did. The Saiyan pushed the Mobian away and went in for a kick on his opponent's chest, but that failed, as Luster used his Afterimage technique to leave a fading visage of himself where he once was. Ace's kick did nothing. Luster was free.

Despite the cat's attempt to land a sneak attack, Ace was able to quickly detect his position and reflect the strike. Ace then fired an energy wave to send the cat flying towards one of the many trees that the infamous lookout contained. Luster caught himself before any immense contact damage could be dealt, but it was close. He was mere centimetres away from impact.

A bead of sweat would have rolled down Luster's face, but since he has fur, that didn't happen. It didn't make him feel any less worried about his prospects for victory. Although it was just a training session, his earlier loss against the Ginyu Force geared his mind towards achieving victory. He had to win. He needed to. Luster needed to make up for his failure. After all, that's how it works...right?

"You're doing well," Ace commented, snapping Luster out of his thoughts. "I can see how you might've been a big help back in your world. But if this is really the level of strength I can expect from your world…"

Luster frowned when the Future Warrior finished his sentence.

"...then you guys must be really weak."

That only served to irritate Luster. Calling him and his Mobian friends weak? There was no way that Luster could believe that. No way. In a bout of anger, Luster rushed in, ready to continue his assault. He unleashed a rapid flurry of fists, all of which Ace easily evaded. No matter how hard the cat tried, no matter how quick he could make his attacks cut through the air, no matter how powerful he was...nothing was working.

Ace had been avoiding pretty much every blast, fist or kick that'd been thrown his way. And even on the rare moment that one of these hits connected, no damage had been dealt. His clothing wasn't torn in the slightest. Absolutely none of Luster's attacks did anything to the Future Warrior. When Luster stopped to catch his breath after an intense, yet pointless assault, he sensed his opponent's power once more. He was reminded of just who he was dealing with.

"It seems that getting you angry isn't working that well...you just keep on fighting as you have been, but with a slight power and speed boost. Your attacks get a little sloppy, too…" Ace commented again.

"Yeah...so?" Luster asked, who was still panting.

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done with you. I think we've had enough action in our base forms. Why don't we take it up a notch?" Ace offered with a small grin.

Luster was confused for a moment, then realised what the Time Patroller meant. "Oh, okay. Yeah, let's do it!"

Both fighters smiled at each other for a moment. It wasn't their pride or their egos showing. Instead, they each knew that things would get a little more interesting from here on out. Round 2 soon began.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

Super Saiyan 3 Ace and Super Luster emerged from an intense, floor-shaking display of raw power. Round 2 was about to begin. This time, both fighters began to engage each other with their most powerful forms. Their super states.

When Luster transformed, forgoing the Chaos Emerald requirement due to Conton City's unique properties as discovered earlier, Ace was impressed by its strength. Hopefully it could give him a good fight.

And it did. Super Luster and Super Saiyan 3 Ace traded blows with one another on somewhat equal footing. The agility both warriors now had would be impressive to anyone who could even see their movements. Their strength was also something to behold. With every punch, the air became increasingly terrified of whatever was capable of doing so.

Effortlessly tanking a bulldozing punch from the mighty Super Saiyan, the Mobian used a quick Chaos-powered energy sphere to knock his foe away. Ace returned rather speedily and launched a powerful Ki wave from point blank range.

No effect. The situation had completely reversed itself from before. None of Ace's attacks dealt any kind of damage onto the Mobius born transformation. Not even a fierce Kamehameha, a Destructo Disk or a Final Flash did anything. Absolutely no damage was dealt to the Chaos Energy-powered Mobian. Needless to say, the Future Warrior was confused.

"What?! How's it possible? None of my attacks are working! Are you that powerful…?" Super Saiyan 3 Ace wondered aloud, between heavy breaths.

"Probably. I just know that the Super Form is totally invisible...no, wait, I mean _invincible_. That happens to me all the time…" Super Luster answered, quickly derailing himself and lamenting his vocal slip-up.

"Invincible?! It doesn't sound like you're joking yet it does make sense...I think I would've been able to hurt you somehow by now if that wasn't the case," Ace responded. "I've gotta say, that power must be really useful."

"It totally is!" Luster smiled, appreciating the appreciation. "It's helped us out a whole lotta times before. Can't think how we'd be doin' now without it."

"Not too well, I think."

Ace and Luster shared a friendly glance with one another. Now that they both witnessed firsthand the kind of true power that the other wielded, an invisible (and invincible) thread of respect was woven between them. Ace looked to be thoughtful for some reason.

And it was that thoughtful state that resulted in the Saiyan becoming startled when Chronoa's voice rang through each of their minds. She didn't have her usual cheery voice. Instead, it was fast and frantic. Even Luster could tell something was up.

" _Guys? You've got to come back to the Time Nest RIGHT NOW. We've found something that requires our immediate attention. Luster's especially,_ " the Supreme Kai of Time demanded the pair.

That was all she said. Confused, the two warriors lowered themselves to the floor of the lookout and shared a glance that greatly represented their purplexity. They quickly depowered out of their super states.

"What do you think that's all about?" Ace asked his new friend.

"I dunno," Luster shrugged.

" _I said RIGHT NOW!_ " Chronoa yelled through a reopened telepathic link. The immense force behind her yell was enough to make Ace and Luster cringe a little.

Not wanting to further incur the wrath of the petite Supreme Kai of Time, the two made their way back to Conton City before Chronoa's mood worsened.

 _4:01 PM - Age 851_

 _Time Vault_

It didn't take too long for Ace and Luster to make it to the Time Nest. Since they needed to be fast, since Luster didn't have a flying license yet and since techniques of any kind weren't allowed to be used in the city (thus meaning Luster couldn't use Instant Transmission), Ace had to hold onto the cat's arm as they flew through the air temporarily. Onlookers assumed that the strange furry thing was being dragged around by their hero. That only embarrassed Luster.

But at least they made it there relatively quickly.

"What took you two so long?" Elder Kai questioned, once the pair entered the Time Vault. "You should've been a lot faster!"

"We got here as fast as we could," Ace protested. "It doesn't matter. What's going on, Supreme Kai of Time?"

"..." Chronoa was silent as she turned around with a rolled-up Scroll of Eternity in her hand.

"Time's been changed?!" Ace realised. Luster remembered what he'd been told about the Time Patrol and its purpose for existing, so he knew the seriousness of the situation. "What happened? And when?"

"It's best you take a look for yourself. You too, Luster. I think you might be able to help us out here," Chronoa laid the scroll down onto the desk and motioned the two over. She unrolled the magical paper, revealing another colourless moving image of sorts.

Within what seemed to be a dark and decimated city, a young man with a sword was staring down another man who had strong resemblance to Son Goku. Nearby, a massive torrent of flames quickly spread all throughout the city and ruined it even further. Some pieces of ground crumbled away to reveal the scorching core of the Earth itself. The world was ablaze.

"This thing...I kinda recognise it…" Luster started to piece together more of his memories as the video progressed. Once it ended, he spoke. "This feels like that Mobian we found on that Namek place…"

"So this must also have something to do with your memories," Trunks realised. "Whatever it is, it's destroyed the alternate future world. A time similar to the one I came from, but different. That must be the other future me's battle with Goku Black…"

"Goku Black? Did Goku paint himself black or somethin'?" Luster wondered, clearly confused by the dark Saiyan's name.

Ace chuckled slightly. "No, Goku Black is someone else. He looks like Goku, though he's actually a Kai called Zamasu who stole Goku's body by wishing on the Super Dragon Balls. He's a bad guy."

"Wait, _Super_ Dragon Balls? When did they become super?" the cat asked again. Since 2015, you stupid cat.

"The Super Dragon Balls are actually the original set of Dragon Balls. The set that Goku and his friends use, as well as the ones on Namek, were all created from the Super Dragon Balls," Ace also explained.

"Anyway, we'll need someone to go into this timeline and destroy those disastrous flames before they destroy the world. I don't know how it can do that so quickly...uh, any volunteers?" Chronoa opened up the floor.

No response. Not initially, anyway. It took some time for Trunks to speak up and nominate someone in particular.

"I think Luster should do it. Since he has some kind of connection with those flames, maybe seeing them in person will fix his memory problem," the lavender haired Saiyan suggested. "Are you okay with that, Luster?"

Luster thought, just for a moment. "I'm cool with it. I dunno how a buncha fire can help though."

"You never know until you try! That's what I always say," Chronoa returned to her usual cheery state.

"I don't remember you ever saying that," Elder Kai mumbled aloud.

"Hey! I said it now, didn't I?" Chronoa pouted. "Oh, right. The scroll. Here you go, Luster. Remember the core values of the Time Patrol!"

She rolled up the purple scroll and handed it to the Mobian, who happily accepted it. With a nod of confirmation, Luster reminded himself of the scroll timeline entrance instructions he'd been given last time and performed them. Soon enough, he was whisked away into the world connected to the paper.

 _8:35 PM - Age 796_

 _Future Earth, Ruined West City_

A world enveloped in destruction. For many a day, the Earth had been laid to waste by the malice of two Androids. One brave, strong soul was enough to destroy those cyborgs. Then the Earth transitioned into a time of peace. Only for a few years.

In time, the strange man known as Goku Black appeared and started terrorising the world once more. The strong soul that saved the world before was nowhere near powerful enough to deal with this new threat. And so, the hero ran. It was all he could do. Now, he was staring down that threat - Goku Black - who was intimidatingly standing on a rooftop, peering down at the weakling Saiyan below with a menacing grin.

"You intend to fight me, Saiyan? Despite knowing that you have no chance of winning...you really amuse me," Goku Black said as he slowly descended to the ground. "It's almost a shame that you'll be joining your friend very soon. But at least you've provided me some kind of entertainment."

Future Trunks grit his teeth in anger. Goku Black had just ruthlessly killed both his mother and his partner. Him speaking so callously about them irritated the Saiyan to no end.

"Say your last goodbyes. I'll end this now," Goku Black readed an energy wave, designed solely to end Trunks' life. The Saiyan had other plans however - particularly regarding a time machine. That was to be his sole means of escape.

But something else happened. Out of nowhere, a massive torrent of flames appeared within the city. It seemed to be expanding slightly. If it were an intelligent lifeform, it would be checking out its new environment. Distracted, both Future Trunks and Goku Black stared at the new being as it trashed about aimlessly.

"What is the meaning of this? Were you trying to trick me, Saiyan?" the dark clothed being demanded to know. "Answer me."

"I...I don't know what this is. Honestly, I don't," Trunks was bewildered.

Then the flames expanded even further. It spread all throughout the city, completely covering the ground in an inferno. Future Trunks and Goku Black retreated to the sky. The body of the deceased Mai was safely recovered by Trunks before the flames got to her. Even though she was dead, he wanted to give her a proper burial. He wouldn't let something like this ruin that plan.

"How unsightly...it's destroying the whole world as we speak. This...this is horrendous!" Goku Black exclaimed. "Are you positive you don't know what this is?"

Trunks shook his head. He really had no idea. Just then, his mind flickered to the time machine. Since the world was getting even further destroyed by the sudden appearance of these flames, the likelihood of the time machine still being around was next to zero percent. His hope was lost.

Right when Trunks became depressed, a white light appeared some ways away from the two denizens of the future world. Luster appeared in the scene, too late to stop the initial spreading of fire. Though he wasn't sure how he could've helped to begin with.

" _Oh man, what the heck am I gonna do? It's not like I can just blast the fire and make it go away...how I am supposed to stop these flames? There's gotta be a way!_ " Luster tried to think of a solution. Maybe he could seal the flames somehow...no way to do that. He stood there for a good while trying to think of something - _anything_. But there was nothing.

" _Why does this thing feel so familiar? It's like that Mephiles guy, or whatever his name is. This thing has gotta have somethin' to do with my memories…_ " Luster thought further. " _Solaris...Mephiles...this fire stuff is the third one. It's really close to Mephiles or something...flames...the Flames of Disaster...Iblis. Iblis! There we go! That's this thing's name! Iblis!_ "

He quickly informed the people and Kais back at the Time Vault of his discovery.

" _The Flames of Disaster...Iblis. How fitting for such a destructive being,_ " Chronoa commented. " _Do you know of a way to seal it somehow?_ "

" _I can't think of anything. If Sonic were around, he might be able to use a tornado to blow all the fire away...Iblis has spread all across the world, though. It'd be way too impossible to do that_ ," answered Luster. " _What do I do?_ "

" _Maybe you can…_ " Chronoa was about to reply, before she was interrupted by a strange, yet familiar occurrence.

A large, dark purple portal appeared in the air. Every single ounce of the Flames of Disaster were sucked into the portal, completely cleansing the planet of its presence. Although parts of the ground still revealed the Earth's core, there was no longer any trace of Iblis. Future Trunks and Goku Black were both confused, but they ultimately shrugged it off and returned to what they were doing. To Chronoa, that was a good sign.

" _Well, that happened. At least history's on the right course now. I'll just have to change a few things from here and it'll all be fine. You can come back now_ ," Chronoa instructed the Mobian recruit.

Luster did as he was told, returning to the world of Conton City. But the sudden disappearance of both Iblis and Mephiles...the connection both beings share...the power that laid between them...all of this spelt trouble for the Mobian. Yet he didn't know why.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ **Sorry about the long wait between chapters. I just got lazy.**


	6. Training to Save History

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Ace, the Future Warrior and saviour of Toki Toki City, decided to take up the mantle of training Luster. He did so pretty much because of Trunks asking him to do so. Being a (somewhat) longtime partner of the time travelling Saiyan, Ace couldn't just say no.

His first course of action was to take Luster into a Free Battle between the two of them, held on Kami's Lookout. They started out in their base forms. At that stage, Luster wasn't able to do anything against the mighty Future Warrior. But the tables turned entirely when their respective transformations were put into play. Super Saiyan 3 Ace couldn't match the invulnerability of the Super Form.

Just after Luster revealed the form's invulnerability, Ace fell into the depths of his mind. That made him completely unaware of an urgent call from Chronoa. History had been changed once again. Turns out, some strange flames that Luster vaguely recognised appeared beside an encounter between Goku Black and an alternate timeline Trunks. Once the cat appeared within the timeline thanks to the Time Scroll, he remembered the name of the intense fire.

Iblis, the Flames of Disaster. He knew Iblis had something to do with Mephiles and Solaris, but his memories were still about as foggy as ever. Before anyone could think of a method to rid the timeline of the flames' presence, a dark portal emerged and vacuumed up the fiery threat. Confused, Luster returned to the Time Vault, curious as to just what was going on.

We now come back to right after we left off!

 _4:06 PM - Age 851_

 _Time Vault_

Reappearing within the safe aura of the mystical Time Vault, situated securely in the Time Nest, those questions were ever present in Luster's mind. Who were Mephiles and Iblis? What was happening to them? What about Solaris? These were questions he had the answers to. But they were hiding behind locked doors. The key was nowhere to be found.

"Luster, you okay?" Ace wondered, snapping the Mobian back to reality.

"I'm fine. It's just...I get a really bad feelin' from all this. Like somethin' really bad's gonna happen. And my stupid memories aren't tellin' me how I can stop it!" Luster clearly seemed frustrated.

"Hey, it'll be fine. We'll ride through this storm together, alright?" Ace decided to reassure the young, cyan cat.

Luster mumbled gibberishly. "Alright. Isn't there somethin' we can do 'bout that? Is there a capsule we can use that'll fix my memories?"

"Well…" Elder Kai chipped in. "I happen to know some magic spells. After all, I am partly a witch. If you're so bothered by your lack of clear cut memories, then I suppose I'll rifle through what I know. Perhaps there's something I can do to help you out."

"Really?! Thanks, old man!" Luster bowed in appreciation for the Shinjin's efforts.

"Gah! It's 'Elder Kai', not old man! Have some respect, why don't you?!" Elder Kai cried.

"Sorry!"

Chronoa giggled. "Alright, alright. Enough about that. Luster, you've told us about the name of those flames. Uh, rather, both of its names. Iblis, the Flames of Disaster. Is there anything else you remember about it?"

"That's it. I already told ya all I can remember," Luster answered, focusing on the main issue.

"Right...that's certainly bothersome. It looks like all we can do now is wait and see what else Towa does," Chronoa sighed. Ace and Luster reacted with strong puzzlement.

"What? Towa's behind all this?" the Future Warrior asked.

"Yep. She's the one who stole away that Mobian on Namek. Mephiles was his name, right?" Chronoa turned to Luster for a moment, who nodded. "We can only assume that she's the one behind Iblis' capture. However, being from a different world than either of them, what does Towa want from those two? Does she know something we don't?"

"Probably. It's hard to say. That Mephiles person seemed intelligent enough to be able to speak. Iblis clearly isn't. I think it's possible that Towa is actually working together with Mephiles. And if that's the case, Mephiles must have been unaffected by whatever wiped Luster's memories, which explains why Towa would know all about Iblis and Mephiles," Trunks theorised.

"If that's true, then she has a clear-cut advantage over us. Considering it's her, whatever her goal is, it can't be good. Iblis' destructive potential might have a factor in all this...she clearly wants to do _something_ with them. Maybe she wants to destroy the universe? Or maybe she's going to use them to summon Solaris," Chronoa proposed several ideas.

"Either way, we can't be sure exactly what she wants. We should keep an eye out and continue tracking her until we find out the truth. Then, we stop her for good," Trunks added. "It's probably going to take a while to do that."

Luster was a little miffed upon hearing those words. He didn't let it show.

"I'll keep training Luster in the meantime. There's something missing...I'm not sure what it is yet. It's kinda eating away at me. I'll figure out what it is soon," Ace stated, looking thoughtful.

"So it'll be Trunks and me working on tracking Towa. The old man will help us as well, but he'll also be looking for some way to unlock Luster's memories. Ace will be training Luster because…" Chronoa drew a blank.

"Because I wanna be super strong!" Luster simply answered.

"Okay…" Chronoa paused for a moment, stewing around the situation in the pot of her mind. "Alright, let's get to work!"

From then, the two groups split off. Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai remained in the Time Vault as they desperately searched for any clues as to Towa's whenabouts. Ace and Luster made their way to the Recreation Plaza, keen to hone their skills and improve their strength. There was still something weighing on Ace's mind. Something about Luster. Something that wasn't there. It stayed with him for a few days.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

Several days have passed. Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai have had absolutely no luck in finding out anything to do with Towa's location or her plans. The old Shinjin hasn't even come close to figuring out which of his skills might be of some use to Luster. Nothing in his repertoire could bring out what had been locked away by something unknown.

Meanwhile, Ace and Luster went back to their training. Instead of performing a bunch of Free Battles, Ace instructed the Mobian to do a bunch of Parallel Quests for the sake of obtaining more Zeni. It was also a decent way of getting stronger in general. After finishing one, Luster noticed that he'd gotten barely any more powerful. This feeling returned after completing a second.

So Luster was keen to keep doing these quests. Throughout the uneventful days that passed, the Mobian did at least twenty of them. And there were still plenty more to be done. In the process, Luster obtained a large amount of Zeni, though he didn't spend it on anything because he didn't know what to buy. Ace didn't know either.

As the Mobian took on the various quests that came his way, the Future Warrior patiently watched as his 'protege' beat a bunch of warriors in both his base state as well as his Super Form. The thing that was on his mind slowly started to become clear as he became increasingly familiar with Luster's fighting style. Rather…

Once he returned to the Recreation Plaza upon completion of his thirty-sixth Parallel Quest, the young cat was excited to get back to business. But Ace was silent. Eerily silent.

"Hey, Ace? You okay?" Luster wondered, concerned for his friend.

Ace didn't respond. At least, not for a few seconds. "I've finally figured it out. What's been bugging me for the past two days."

"Oh. Ya said it was about me, right? What is it?" Luster tensed up - as if it was something serious.

"Your fighting style. You…" Ace paused as he tried to think of the right way to say it. "You really don't have one, do you?"

"Wha…? Fightin' style? I never needed one of those."

"Is that so? Then I guess there aren't many martial arts masters in your world that you could've learned from."

Luster shook his head. "No, there is. Mr. Tanaka's a black belt in karate. I just never bothered to learn that kinda thing. Never needed it. Eggman's robots aren't really skilled in that stuff, they're more about power, durability and whatever special thing they can do. So I never thought to learn martial arts. Is it good if I do?"

"It'd be very good, yeah. You don't have to learn anything like karate or anything they teach on Earth. All you need to figure out is how you want to fight, instead of going in and throwing around your attacks aimlessly until they end up connecting. That's just wasteful. Wasting energy is especially bad for us, since we'll get tired and vulnerable if we use enough of our power. That's why we've got to have styles. We'll be able to figure out what we're most comfortable with and then we'll be able to adjust our energy consumption accordingly."

Luster nodded along, understanding the gist of what the Future Warrior was talking about.

"So what style do you have?" the cat asked.

"I mainly like to use Strike-style attacks. I've got various rush skills equipped at the moment, and I know how to use them well. You'll see me right up in my opponent's face, beating them down with varying barrages of punches and kicks. I do have two Ki Blast-style skills for the sake of coverage, but I don't use them very often since I specialise in physical assaults."

"Huh…" Luster again nodded along. "What style do ya think I should have?"

"Well, considering how flexible your Mobian body seems to be, as well as all those techniques you already know, maybe a rushdown style would be the best for you. That's all about keeping the opponent busy with Ki wave, sphere and physical barrages, never letting them have a chance to fight back because you're overwhelming them with all sorts of stuff. It requires a lot of energy to do that, but from what you've told me, energy sources are pretty abundant in your world, so that shouldn't be a problem for you."

"Yeah. We've got the Chaos Emeralds, the gold Rings, the Power Rings and a buncha other science stuff that Tails and Chuck know about. I know how to use the emeralds, but I haven't used Rings before. I'll hafta ask Sonic 'bout that."

"Sounds good. Alright, we'll see how comfortable you are with that style, using the techniques you know right now. Remember that it's all about overwhelming the opponent with everything you've got. Never let them have a chance to use any of their moves. Remember," Ace repeated. "Let's have you do another Parallel Quest…"

Ace turned his attention to the Parallel Quest robot, where the holographic list of quests was still present and loaded with Luster's completion data. He scrolled through the list, passing by several choices while using his knowledge to try to pick out a decent one for the cat to undertake. He stopped at one particular quest.

"Buu's Weird Absorptions...sounds fun. Think you can take on a bunch of Super Buus? You won't be fighting them all at once," Ace turned back to Luster for a moment.

Before replying, Luster transformed into his Super Form. "Yeah. I can take 'em."

"Great. Here you go."

Ace pressed some buttons on the holographic screen, which formed a white aura all around the super-charged cat. Eventually, he was whisked away to a whole other world, where he was put underneath a series of challenges.

 _Unknown Time, Unknown Date_

 _Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Parallel Quest_

Since Luster had already been in the spiritual, endless room and managed to survive while only in his base level, his Super Form was more than enough to deal with the increased gravity. In fact, the cat barely recognised that there was a higher gravity in the room to begin with.

But his thoughts were interrupted when a tall, pink demonic creature flew into the arena. Super Buu, an evil incarnation of the infamous Majin Buu. Luster had already encountered him several times before, so he wasn't expecting anything to be different this time. His instincts were wrong.

"I will take everything!" Super Buu yelled in its usual, childish manner.

A piece of the Majin's body fell towards the ground. Super Luster was unnerved by this, but calmed down once he realised it wasn't moving towards him. Instead, it was slowly inching its way towards two men who were facing the other direction.

Tien and Yamcha. For some reason, they were here. Luster knew who these two were: friends of Goku's. He'd actually met both of them during his arrival in Goku's dimension all that time ago. They were pretty nice. He never actually got to speak to them much, but they were good people.

So to see them getting absorbed by Super Buu...it was strange. All the more stranger when the transformation was completed. Buu gained Tien's green top as well as Yamcha's scar, but his strength barely increased.

"No…!" Even Buu seemed disappointed. Luster couldn't help but smirk.

"Sorry, Buu. Your fault that ya chose bad targets!" the Mobian commented as he zoomed in to engage the creature.

With the power that his Super Form gave him as well as the knowledge gained from having fought Super Buu multiple times before in other Parallel Quests, the fight against the Tien and Yamcha absorbed Majin was fairly short. Luster was surprised when Super Buu busted out some of its absorbees' techniques, such as the Wolf Fang Fist, Spirit Ball, Tri-Beam and Volleyball Fist. It certainly felt weird to be smacked around like a volleyball. But of course, none of that hurt.

" _Oh yeah, almost forgot. I gotta keep throwin' everythin' I got at this guy, like Ace said. Gotta be a rushdown style fighter!_ " Luster reminded himself.

The cat returned to engaging Buu. He blasted several energy spheres and waves at the absorber, then once he was done with that, began throwing out several punches along with kicks in a rapid barrage that Buu could only block. Before long, blocking became a detriment to the creature, as the power gap between it and Super Luster was much too great. Hefty ripples were made in its flexible, liquid-like skin. When Buu tried to move out of the way, Luster found a good opportunity to blast Buu into oblivion with a Chaos Energy-powered wave. One down.

" _Good work! You've still got three more to go. They're all going to be stronger than the rest, just a little warning_ ," Ace told the cat.

" _Huh? Really? Well, they ain't gonna be stronger than me! Bring 'em on!_ " Super Luster and got into a little battle ready pose.

A few seconds later and another plain Super Buu showed up. Much like the last one, instead of attacking immediately, it chose to absorb someone. That someone was Frieza, who somehow appeared while Luster wasn't looking.

"You fun. Buu like you. You be in Buu now," Super Buu said to Frieza.

"W-what?!" the tyrannical space overlord exclaimed, terrified and confused as to what this pink monstrosity was talking about.

Just as with Tien and Yamcha, Frieza found himself absorbed by the powerful Majin. Buu's head elongated slightly and gained regal purple accents, matching the same purple spot from Frieza's own head. Buu's shoulders also became purple, further highlighting the fact that a selfish villain now rested inside the demonic being.

The fight ended up being exactly the same as with the previous Super Buu incarnation. Luster fired a barrage of unrelenting Ki and physical attacks. He ended up destroying the literally dual-layered villain in the same way as his previous foe - with a single Chaos-powered Ki wave. It was slightly more difficult however, since Frieza Buu now possessed the original Frieza's Death Beam technique, which was a fast finger beam move that disrupted Super Luster's flow several times. The absorbed creature was even able to land a Death Ball.

But that wasn't enough to overcome the Super Form's invulnerability. Ace could tell that Luster needed a way to not have his assaults be bested by quick techniques like the Death Beam. In fact, there was something about Death Beam that seemed interesting to the Future Warrior.

Super Luster's fights against the remaining Buu clones were very similar to the one he had with the Frieza version. The next one was Cell. Another villain that Luster had come across several times along his Parallel Quest career. Buu absorbed Cell because the former liked the latter's head...a circumstance that Luster actually laughed out loud at. Luckily, Buu didn't hear the laughter, so the Mobian was fine.

Cell Buu went down without much of a struggle, though with Cell's added movepool, things got a little frantic in terms of the fight. Lots of varied techniques were thrown around, fired and blasted. The Super Form was able to sustain it all. Luster's final blow soon came. Vegeta Buu was essentially the same deal, except with an added flavour of Vegeta. In fact, the Saiyan Prince didn't seem to care that he was getting absorbed, which was certainly strange to Luster. Anyway, the fight was pretty much the same. Though that was the problem.

" _Well, you did it. You cleared the quest, although you didn't find the secret win condition. But that's not the problem I've noticed_ ," Ace began to say telepathically.

" _What's up?_ " Super Luster wondered.

" _You were able to defeat all the versions of Buu using the style I suggested...by doing the same thing over and over again. Almost any fighter would be able to recognise you repeating the same moves so they'll work around your style. The same thing isn't going to work twice. Unless you were fighting someone really stupid...I guess that won't be the case all the time_ ," Ace explained. " _We'll need to find some other ways that'll let you use that style._ "

" _How do we do that?_ "

" _Skills. Tell you what, I'll think of a good movelist for you and we'll see how that works out. With all the Zeni you have, we should be able to buy anything we need. But I'm not gonna be able to think of a movelist right away. We'll need time. Come back and we'll start figuring this out_."

Luster nodded. He used the small holographic screen in front of him that congratulated him on his victory to warp himself back to Conton City. While Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai were working on their side of the operation, Ace and Luster began planning out potential moveset ideas. They continued to work on it for quite some time.

Still, in the background of all this, Towa and Mephiles' respective schemes were being prepared. They'd soon be ready.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_


	7. Unknown Unleashed, Once Again

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Iblis, the Flames of Disaster. Mephiles the Dark. And Solaris. Three elements of his world that Luster doesn't remember. Previously, Towa stole those destructive flames that tore away at the world in which Goku Black and Future Trunks had their encounter. Luster couldn't do anything to stop the time-travelling and energy-stealing villain from taking the fire for herself.

Once he returned to the Time Vault to converse with the highest ranking members of the Time Patrol, it was quickly decided that Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai would keep watch for any Towa-related activity, while Ace continued to train Luster. The old Shinjin also offered to search for a way to unlock Luster's sealed memories - perhaps one of his spells would do the trick.

From then, not much happened for several days. Ace instructed Luster to keep doing Parallel Quest upon Parallel Quest so that the Mobian could rack up a large amount of Zeni as well as battle experience with the hope of ultimately making the cat stronger overall. But as the days passed, something was eating away at Ace's mind. A problem he couldn't figure out.

Then, some time later, Ace did indeed figure it out. He noticed that Luster didn't have much of a fighting style. Although the turquoise cat knew how to use his techniques well, he was using them predictably. And when he wasn't using those techniques, he'd just throw out punch after punch after kick. No rhyme or reason to his attacks. With his experience using Toki Toki City's facilities and unique properties, Ace came up with the perfect fighting style for Luster.

Rushdown. Throwing an endless barrage of blasts and strikes towards the opponent, never letting them have a moment's rest. It was supposedly a rather draining style to utilise, though the numerous naturally occurring energy sources back in Luster's world would make that a non-issue. Luster happily accepted the suggestion. He immediately began training himself in that style, using it to dispatch several incarnations of Super Buu while in his Super Form.

But there was still more work to be done. Ace could tell. Luster needed more skills in order to use the rushdown style effectively. The pair of them began to dream up a good skill set for the Mobian fighter to use. In the meantime, Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai continued their work. Towa and Mephiles carried on with their schemes as well. The climax of both of their plans would soon be reached. Only then will one triumph the other.

We now come back to a little bit before we left off!

 _Age ?_

 _Earth From an Unknown Time_

As time resumes ticking, the darkness surrounding the forgotten world becomes evermore intense. An apparent lack of lifeforms is clear as you scan the surroundings. There is nobody here. There is nobody anywhere. There is only that dark, purple mist. Perfect for the two beings that now live in this horrendous place.

Towa and Mephiles. Born in different worlds, brought together by an invisible thread of fate. Yet one of them is unaware of the storm that is to pass. The foundations of ideal conditions would soon be brought down by the hidden desire of another. One of them does not know of this fact.

"Mephiles. This is the Flames of Disaster you talked about?" Towa asked her compatriot as the pair of them stared at the glass, cylindrical container which prevented any destruction from occurring. It rested just beside the container that held just under half of Mira's form.

"Yes. That is my other half," Mephiles answered her. "With this, we can soon bring about the demise of this universe. You can rule all timelines and do as you please."

Towa smiled as Mephiles spoke about the luxuries that this 'Solaris' would provide. "How amazing. All that from an inorganic creation? The scientists of your world certainly are impressive."

"I wouldn't say that. Iblis and I merely contain the DNA of the God of Time. We were made from the leftovers of that deity. The humans couldn't do that on their own…" Mephiles began to recount the circumstances behind his creation. "They needed the help of an outside source."

"And what would that be?" Towa wondered, genuinely curious.

"Seven mystical jewels known as the Chaos Emeralds. They had to borrow them from their resting place at South Island, long before Mobius and Earth split apart. Unfortunately, it seems as if they haven't appeared in this universe alongside myself and Iblis. Perhaps you have a way to circumvent that, considering your scientific genius?"

Towa switched her gaze from Mephiles, to Iblis, then back to Mephiles and once again to Iblis. She frowned. Seconds later, she shook her head.

"I appreciate your attempts to flatter me, but nothing's come to mind. I don't have the facilities to be able to analyse you two properly…" Towa returned to her thoughts for a time. "Is there no other way we can get those emeralds? There must be something...I wonder if they've appeared in another timeline already. I'll check."

She turned around and gathered dark energy at the tip of her staff. Mephiles watched her as she used her time-related powers to scan through various timelines in hope of finding something, anything to do with these 'Chaos Emerald' things. She wished they had appeared somewhere. They had to. They just had to. For the sake of her mission...for the sake of the Demon Realm.

Soon, a mischievous smile appeared on her face. Mephiles was intrigued once Towa turned back around and revealed her villainous expression.

"Mephiles. I found them."

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

A frantic, mad dash. Ace and Luster (who had just completed a Parallel Quest) quickly passed across the skies of Conton City for a short time before reaching the portal to the Time Nest. Very quickly at this point, the pair rushed through the peaceful area and straight into the Time Vault. Something big had gone down - something that required all of their attention.

Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai all sharply turned towards the door as soon as Ace and Luster made their entrance. The faces of the three implied that there was indeed something worrisome happening, but it seemed as if there was a hint of confusion thrown in with their worry. A combination of emotions that only served to make things even more strange, as Ace noticed. Luster just wanted to know what was going on exactly.

"History's been changed again, huh? What got changed?" Luster wondered.

"Well…" Trunks tried to find the best way to put it, especially for Luster's sake. "...It's the fight between you and that Nazo person. Uh, that Nazo 'Mobian'. Mephiles showed up there."

"What did he do?" Ace asked.

"He stole some jewels...I think those were the Chaos Emeralds that Luster told us about," Trunks answered, still worried about spilling the whole truth. "By doing that, it's lead to some...consequences…"

"Wait. I needed the emeralds to beat Nazo. Without 'em…" Luster slowly realised what might have happened. And that scared him speechless.

"Let's try not to think about that, okay? You're not fading away right now, so it's not like it happened to you. It just happened to someone who looks like you. And if we act fast enough, it won't happen at all. So don't worry, Luster," Ace reassured his protege.

The cat gave his master a nod. He took a deep breath and held back the intense emotions that were about to surface. He still felt upset about it, though. At least he didn't devolve into a whimpering wreck.

"Anyway, we need to stop Mephiles from stealing those Chaos Emerald things. Obviously Luster can't go since his past self is already there. I'm not too familiar with paradoxes, so I don't really know if anything bad would happen if Luster went in...I'd rather not risk it. Anyone else wanna go?" Chronoa moved the conversation on, clearly speaking to Trunks and Ace in this instance.

"I'll do it. That guy's messed with my student. I'm not gonna let him get away," Ace immediately responded with a determined expression. "It'd be better if I went anyway since Goku and everyone else knows Trunks. Or, the other Trunks. You all know what I mean."

"Got it. Here you go," Chronoa handed the Scroll of Eternity to the Future Warrior. "Good luck!"

Ace simply nodded. He went through the ever-so familiar process of utilising a Time Scroll and soon vanished from the Time Vault. The red-haired Saiyan was determined to prevent such a deadly disaster from happening to his new friend.

Mephiles was going to pay for hurting Luster.

 _Age 778_

 _A Crater in the Middle of a Wasteland_

Past Luster engaged Unknown in a bout of close quarters combat. The young, cyan Mobian struck the dark, liquid-esque body of the strange being with a kick. He was unaware if he'd dealt any damage at all. Unknown fought back with a light red energy sphere that sent the cat reeling far back, almost forcing him into the wall of the crater.

" _Even with the emerald's power...I can't tell if I'm hurtin' him. I've gotta be doin' somethin', though!_ " Past Luster assessed his situation. Unknown was standing where he'd always been, undeterred by the Mobian's newfound tenacity. " _Guess I just gotta keep goin'_.'

Just then, Unknown seemed to smile. "I will admit, your attacks certainly hurt. That just means I no longer have a use for this pathetic vessel. While its anatomy is useful, the power limitations it has are far too low. I can see why those Saiyans had such a hard time dealing with it before."

Goku, Gohan, Piccolo...everyone was standing to the side as they watched the new guy deal with the old menace. Vegeta scowled upon the mention of his and Kakarot's failure to do anything with their fusion.

"I've been asked to not be cliché...though in situations like this, it's hard not to. Apologies, master. I know you're watching. But now...playtime is over."

After Unknown made such a well-needed apology, the being began to clench its dark fists. A huge amount of red aura surrounded Luster's opponent. Its power was enough to make Luster sweat like a waterfall. Before long, the black-purple aura that had been constantly surrounding the being dissipated, revealing a white-cyan body that greatly resembled a Mobian's. Luster narrowed his eyes upon realising who this guy was similar to.

"You look like Sonic! But you're not! Who are you, freak?" the cat practically demanded to know.

"I suppose it's customary for me to reveal my name. And it's not like you all will be living for much longer…" the new foe hinted at what was to come. "My name is Nazo, a Mobian from the planet Mobius. But I am no ordinary Mobian. However, despite the power I possess, I've been asked to test you. So why don't we begin the examination?"

As Past Luster was being repeatedly intimidated by Nazo, nearby, a certain dark Mobian appeared. He scanned his environment and hid in the shadows so that he wouldn't be discovered so easily. Towa warned him of that. All the nearby warriors could sense energy. Someone like Mephiles would be spotted very quickly. Good thing that he had the means to hide.

" _So the Chaos Emeralds are here...Towa was right. I need to take them before they get used...where is the last one? The seventh emerald is not there…_ " Mephiles looked at the scene for a bit longer before discovering the presence of someone he knew. " _That cat...he is here too, though it seems as if that's the version of him from the past. Then he won't pose a threat to me. However, he has the seventh emerald...no matter. I can take it._ "

Mephiles moved silently and invisibly. Nobody noticed his approach, even as he entered the deep crater. He slithered beside Luster. From such a close distance, the emerald stored inside Luster's Hammerspace was incredibly obvious. It was just a matter of stealing it.

As Past Luster was staring down Nazo and asking the deictic Mobian about 'him', something strange happened. Sonic and Tails appeared out of nowhere, in front of the cat. Despite his confusion, Luster was immensely happy to see them.

"Sonic, Tails! How'd you guys get here?" Past Luster asked with a smile.

"We're not here. I just built a machine that lets us do this," Tails vaguely explained.

"Listen, bud. Y'know that Chaos Emerald you got in that Hammerspace o' yours? We kinda need it. If you give it to us, then we can come over for real. Then we can help you out," Sonic added.

Without hesitation, Luster nodded. "Okay!"

He brought the emerald out from his Hammerspace and gave it to Sonic, who smiled unnaturally for a moment. Past Luster seemed happy with what he just did.

"Awesome. Thanks, dude," Sonic said. He and Tails disappeared, along with the Chaos Emerald that'd been handed over.

Nazo smiled. " _Master...you wanted this to happen, didn't you? All for the sake of your 'story'..._ "

Meanwhile, Mephiles returned to the shadows of the ground and slithered away from both Mobian warriors. Without the assistance of the Chaos Emerald, Past Luster didn't stand much of a chance against his fearsome opponent. Just as he was about to ask someone to throw him another emerald, Nazo engaged the cat in a combination of punches and kicks, diverting the cat's attention for some higher purpose. This allowed Mephiles to move away from the scene.

" _It seems I don't need to put too much effort into my illusions for someone as weak minded as that cat...Shadow was certainly more difficult to manipulate_ ," Mephiles reminded himself as he hid behind a rock, still hiding within the shadows.

While the dark being was planning to steal the rest of the mystical gems, the arrival of someone in particular caught his attention. Someone that wasn't supposed to be there...like himself. Towa couldn't have warned him about this person.

" _Alright, I'm here...gotta hide my power level so I don't get found…_ " Ace did just that as he hid behind a taller rock. He took a good look at the scene. " _There's the past version of Luster...that must be Nazo. There's everyone else. And the Chaos Emeralds. But where's Mephiles…?_ "

" _He's hiding behind that really small rock! Blast him away, Ace!_ " Chronoa pointed out the location of the otherworldly villain.

" _I'm really glad you're the Supreme Kai of Time, or else I would've been stuck here looking for the guy for hours_ ," Ace commented with a grin.

The Future Warrior aimed an open palm for the tiny rock that Mephiles was stealthily hiding behind. Before he could fire, someone appeared behind him and kicked him far away, enough so that the scene with Past Luster and Nazo was no longer in eyesight.

Right when Ace reoriented himself on the ground, a dark purple sphere appeared around him. He could see out of it, but all he saw was that black and grey Mobian that had been on Namek that one time. Ace grit his teeth and glared at the troublesome creature.

"You must be that person that Towa warned me about...the Future Warrior, Ace," Mephiles initiated the conversation. "It must feel nice to play hero. Saving the common person, being generously rewarded for such actions that are mundane to you...it must feel good to you."

"What are you talking about?" Ace returned.

"I'm saying that you're a selfish person. Someone who is driven by the desire to hear praise. A self-righteous warrior who once felt the rush of hearing someone else talk highly about him and is now addicted to that feeling. Have you never considered doing something for yourself? Something that others might not want?"

"What?! No, never! I've got to protect history! I don't care about being praised, just as long as history is safe and sound! Where did this conversation even come from?!"

Mephiles' blank stare remained. "I was curious. About the type of person you really are. When Towa told me about you, you seemed like the sort of troublesome person that would get in the way of any scheme he deemed 'evil'. Like a certain hedgehog I know. Rather, a pair of hedgehogs. So hearing you answer my questions in the way that you have...it makes me wonder if you really are doing this for the sake of others. That seems like a waste, especially with all that power you have."

"It's this power that'll defeat you and restore this timeline to the way it was!" Ace tried emitting all the energy he could, but even as a Super Saiyan 3, it wasn't enough. In fact, he was getting increasingly drained the harder he tried. He decided to power down to Super Saiyan 1 to conserve energy.

"Useless. You can't escape from this sphere. I have time and space manipulation powers as well. Though nothing quite like Towa's. She has certainly been useful," Mephiles began to walk away. "Future Warrior...consider your strength. It could be used for much more than that. You could very well rule the multiverse if you tried hard enough. It's a shame you waste it all on this sickening self-righteous trite."

Ace tried punching, kicking and blasting his way out of the sphere, but it was no use. Nothing was working. Thanks to the properties of the sphere, he was getting increasingly tired even in his regular Super Saiyan state. That left Mephiles to freely sneak back into the scene and steal the Chaos Emeralds. Nobody was there to stop him from doing so. History remained changed.

" _Ace!_ " Chronoa cried, concerned for his safety. " _Are you okay?_ "

" _I'm fine...that Mephiles is pretty difficult to deal with. He caught me off guard_ ," Ace responded mentally. " _I'll come back. We'll have to find some other way to deal with this…_ "

" _About that. Uh, just come back. You'll see what I mean_ ," Chronoa ended the telepathic conversation.

The scattered way she spoke towards the end suggested something strange happened. Ace could tell. He used the Scroll of Eternity's powers to bring himself back to the safety of the Time Vault. Mephiles' spherical cage dissipated when he did that. Ace was indeed curious to find out what made Chronoa act so strangely…

 _1:40 PM - Age 851_

 _Time Vault_

Ace returned to the Time Vault, only to meet with a sea of confused facial expressions. Luster, Chronoa, Trunks, Elder Kai all seemed bewildered by something. For a moment, Ace wondered if there was something wrong with him. But then Chronoa spoke up.

"So, the Scroll of Eternity…" she trailed off. The Supreme Kai of Time motioned towards the open scroll, which was no longer covered in a purple, ominous aura. "It's back to normal. And I don't know why. Like, none of us have any clue as to why that's happened."

"What?" Ace walked over to the scroll and picked it up. It was in exactly the same state as all the other scrolls. "It just turned normal? Out of nowhere?"

"Yeah. It happened just as I was talking to you. I was thinking it was because of Mephiles...that doesn't make any sense though. He probably doesn't even know about the Time Scrolls. Heck, I'm not even sure if Towa knows about them. That also means it likely isn't her either," Chronoa explained. Foolish Shinjin. "Did someone say something?" *Yes.*

Everyone shook their heads.

"Huh. Well, I suppose this means that history is fine…? It's probably nothing to worry about," the Supreme Kai of Time shrugged it off. "I'll keep an eye on this scroll in case something else happens."

"Mephiles still has the Chaos Emeralds. Why can't we just go back in and try to stop him again?" Luster wondered.

"You fool! We can't do that! If someone goes into a scroll that a Time Patroller has already been in, there'll be a huge time paradox! Or, something like that. Either way, it's bad idea to do that!" Elder Kai exclaimed frantically, startling Luster a little. "We usually get these things done in one go…"

"And since it's normal now, there's really no need to go back in. When the scroll's like that, it means everything's okay. Like the Supreme Kai of Time said, she'll keep an eye on it in case there's another problem with it. It'll be fine," Trunks reassured the cat.

"Alright…" Luster sighed, calming down. "What do we do now?"

"There's not much we can do. Towa and Mephiles are probably hiding again. We've never been able to find wherever it is they are, but I hope something will turn up soon," Trunks answered. "We should probably get back to what we were doing before. I know it doesn't feel right. But it's all we can do."

Nobody was okay with that. Definitely something was amiss. Although neither of them had an iota of what occurred, they could tell something was wrong with the whole situation. Their miserable selves would never be able to comprehend the whole truth. Maybe in _time_ , though.

Everyone went back to what they were doing prior to history being changed. Despite how they felt, they had to keep going as they were. They all needed to deal with their uncertainty.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ **Hope you all had a good Halloween! I completely ignored the holiday, myself, since I was distracted with other things. I was pretty busy on Wednesday with school work and stuff. Guess it just flew right past me.**

 **Anyway, see you next time.**


	8. Destruction of a Different Universe

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Towa and Mephiles resumed their plans. Once the former of the two captured Iblis and brought the flames to their secret underground lab in an unknown time period, its destructive capabilities were immediately restrained thanks to one of Towa's machines. Mephiles then told his partner in time-related crime about the circumstances behind Iblis and his creation. How they were both formed from extracting leftover DNA of the God of Time, Solaris. The humans couldn't do this with their meager technology. They needed something godly to help them.

Chaos Emeralds. Seven mystical jewels of immense power. They were lifted from their hiding place within the Special Stages on South Island. All for the sake of restoring Solaris. Mephiles lamented the fact that the Chaos Emeralds didn't seem to be anywhere in this new universe, but Towa was persistent. She scanned across various timelines for any trace of such jewels. Soon enough, she found them all.

Chronoa, the Supreme Kai of Time, detected a change in history. She immediately alerted Ace and Luster of the situation - the two of them were still busy training. Turns out, the Chaos Emeralds had been stolen from the time period in which Luster from the past fought Nazo, thus creating a bad future in that scenario. Luster was devastated to hear of what happened, though Ace calmed him down. Speaking of the Future Warrior, he was the one to go in and deal with the change in history since Luster couldn't due to time paradoxical issues. He also just really wanted payback on Mephiles as he was the one behind the change.

Ace was determined. Determined to prevent history from being changed. With help from Chronoa, he sighted the stealthy dark Mobian. A single energy blast was all he needed…! But no. He'd been attacking a decoy. Mephiles was able to trap Ace in an impenetrable, spherical cage that he couldn't escape from, no matter how much power he emitted. Ace was then quizzed on his true nature as a person. He was asked some strange questions by Mephiles. The answers he gave were obvious to both him and his interrogator, though Mephiles wasn't disappointed. He was more so irritated. Before leaving, he stole the Chaos Emeralds, prompting Ace to return to the Time Vault.

But once he got back, he discovered that the Scroll of Eternity he'd used had turned back into its regular state. This indicated that everything was okay...despite Ace's failure to protect the emeralds. Nobody was sure what to do. Since they couldn't go back in due to paradoxes and whatnot, they all decided to go back to what they were doing. Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai on the search for Towa while Ace and Luster went back to training. All while Towa and Mephiles got off scot-free.

We now come back to a few days after we left off!

 _Unknown Time - Unknown Date_

 _Pod Landing, Parallel Quest_

Luster was once again taking part in a Parallel Quest. Ace was watching him through a monitor that the Parallel Quest Capsule Corporation robot was displaying through a holographic screen. The monitor also showed Luster and the enemy's health bars, each residing on the two sides of the screen, similar to a video game.

The enemy Luster was facing was none other than Nappa. A brutish Saiyan who prefers brawn over brain. Normally, Luster would've been able to easily do away with this foe. But due to the unique nature of Parallel Quests, Nappa was a lot stronger than normal. He was definitely on the same level as the Ginyu Force - perhaps even more powerful.

Despite that, Luster was doing fine. His training with Ace and his completion of over seventy quests had given him quite a bit of more strength than ever before. He was capable of keeping up with this Nappa. By this time, Ace and Luster (mostly Ace) had come up with a good moveset for the Mobian to use for his rushdown fighting style. And he was making use of each one effectively, in the many ways that Ace suggested.

" _Alright, got distance from my opponent. Now's good for this!_ " Luster thought as he speedily planned out his next move.

Pointing his finger forward, he blasted an incredibly quick pink energy beam at Nappa - the Death Beam. He hadn't expected the move and was stabbed through the chest by the beam's piercing properties. The recoil Nappa was facing as a result Luster's Death Beam allowed the cat to quickly move in using the Aerial Spin Dash (morphing into the Spin Attack form then using his Ki to zoom ahead) and strike while still using the technique. Now that he was close-in, Luster could use a fierce barrage of punches and kicks, preventing Nappa from doing anything aside from blocking one or two punches. That was it. The style was working.

Just as Nappa was about to cause a massive Ki explosion with his Volcano Explosion technique, Luster moved out of the way with an Afterimage, completely avoiding all damage. Once the cat sensed that the damaging part of the move was over, he honed in on Nappa's energy signature and teleported straight to him with Instant Transmission. Nappa couldn't find him. He was blind to the cat's location. Luster knew this and readied a powerful Kamehameha.

As the Mobian was still charging the wave, Nappa turned around. The pure Saiyan was frozen in shock. His scouter had long been broken along with his Saiyan battle armour. Although he couldn't sense energy without that scouter, Nappa could still tell that this move was going to hurt. Thusly, he was terrified. Shaken to the core. But just when Nappa shook himself out of his fearful state, Luster suddenly powered-up with a red aura that sent the Saiyan spiralling back into the pit of terror.

"Kaio-ken!" Luster yelled.

His power doubled. No, all of his stats doubled! He was twice as strong as before! Way stronger than Nappa right now. And then, the Kamehameha was fired. It enveloped Nappa, pushing him back quite a ways through the Saiyan space pod landing site. When the wave ended, Nappa fell to the ground, defeated. Totally done for.

"Alright...I got 'im…" Luster panted a little. Although the Kaio-ken was a useful technique, it drained him a small bit. He was jealous of the fact that Ace could even maintain Kaio-ken x20, a stronger variant, without any problems. It must be the limitations of the Mobian physique...that had to be why Luster could only deal with the regular Kaio-ken. Any further than that would destroy him.

" _Good work! I see you're really making use of those moves I got you. It's pretty convenient for you that I already had most of them to begin with. If I forced you to get them on your own, you'd have to train under the likes of Frieza...I wouldn't wish that upon any good-hearted person_ ," Ace commented telepathically through Conton City's systems.

" _Yeah, that sounds bad_ ," Luster replied. " _Shame we're only allowed four normal attacks, a transformation, an evasive move and two ultimates. Woulda been cool to have a bigger moveset._ "

" _I guess so. It's for balancing purposes, really. Having too many techniques can make an individual overpowered. If we have too many overpowered patrollers wandering the place, the chances for danger in the city would increase dramatically. In that case, these movepool limitations are a necessary evil_."

Luster sighed and frowned slightly.

" _That makes sense. Least it wasn't too difficult to get everythin' I needed. I've got a full moveset on top of the techniques I already know! That's good enough for me_ ," Luster smiled.

" _I think this'll be the final version of the list. The moves you have now are a perfect fit for the aggressiveness that the rushdown style requires. They're a lot better than what we had before…_ "

" _Hey, I liked bein' able to create tornadoes! Made me felt like Sonic_ ," the Mobian exclaimed in a joking manner. " _But I'm happy with what I got now. This'll be really useful!_ "

Ace smiled, appreciatively. " _I'm glad. Now we just need to keep doing Parallel Quests and...oh, wait. You're not done yet._ "

" _Huh?_ "

Nappa got back up. Slowly, but he got up. On the monitor that Ace was watching the quest through, a yellow bar with some text and electric-esque effects appeared horizontally. Luster was initially confused as to how Nappa survived such a powerful blast - he quickly remembered.

" _Looks like you unlocked that secret win condition. Hadn't actually expected you to get it. Now, remember, even if you fail here, the quest will still count as completed. This is just a chance to get bonus Zeni and experience_ ," Ace needlessly explained the cat's new circumstance.

" _Thanks. I remember the last one that was like this, though. That bulky guy growin' huge green hair...that was crazy_ ," Luster was reminded of the last quest he'd done where the alternate win condition had been achieved. " _Maybe this guy'll do the same thing._ "

Almost. In a fit of unbridled and volcanic rage, Nappa ascended. His goatee grew yellow and his eyes turned green. Luster sweat-dropped. Nappa's power increased heavily. The Saiyan was now far stronger than he could normally ever be. Nappa had transformed into a Super Saiyan.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

Now Luster was staring down a Super Saiyan Nappa. Someone who now possessed power far beyond the Ginyu Force, someone whose power reached into the realms of Frieza himself. At least, Frieza as he was on Namek. This impressed Luster - he hadn't seen this before. He'd battled Nappa on several occasions, but never did he transform into a Super Saiyan. Luster was interested.

" _Whoa. Didn't see that comin'_ ," he remarked to Ace. " _Hey, have you ever seen this before?_ "

" _I have, yeah. In fact, I've seen quite the amount of strange transformations that never happened in the original timeline. Raditz becoming a Super Saiyan Blue, Yamcha somehow getting his potential unlocked by the Grand Elder Guru before anyone ever knew about Namek, Gohan turning into a Super Saiyan 4...that's not even the half of it. Compared to all that, this is nothing_ ," Ace responded, using his fingers to count part of his experiences.

Luster soon become too busy to reply. Nappa came in and started attacking, forcing Luster to go on the defensive. He was able to leap far away from the Super Saiyan using the Super Back Jump technique, gaining quite a bit of distance doing so. He took this time to quickly gauge Nappa's power and compare it to his own.

" _Oh man...if it weren't for all that trainin' we've done together, Ace, I wouldn't be able to beat this guy without transformin'. I could try and drain his energy, but the first level of Super Saiyan isn't very, uh, wasteful, so that's not gonna work_ ," Luster shared his planning, formed with the knowledge given to him by the Future Warrior.

" _I'm not going to tell you how to beat him. You'll have to figure that out on your own_ ," Ace told him.

" _Yeah, yeah, I got'cha_."

Luster got his head back into the fight. He fired a rapid barrage of thin, pink and quick energy beams by alternating between his two arms as he pushed them out at a fast pace - Endless Shoot. They were enough to deal some hefty damage to Super Saiyan Nappa. As per his newfound fighting style, Luster rushed behind Nappa with the Mach Dash technique, then fired another Death Beam, this one piercing his foe's chest just as before.

Making excellent use of Nappa's recoil time, Luster zoomed in there, but didn't use the Aerial Spin Dash. Instead, he kicked him into the air and began knocking him around while still in the air. This was Luster's own technique, developed quite a while ago - the Luster Combo. It was perfect for rushdown. The Mobian fighter ended the combination with a double-handed smack to the ground. At this stage, it was clear that Nappa had taken a high amount of damage. Bruises and dents in his skin practically covered his entire body. Well, his back. Nappa was still lying face down in the earth after the usage of Luster Combo.

And this was just the moment Luster needed to bust out his new ultimate attack. Raising just one arm further into the air and stretching out its hand as far as it could go, a gigantic pink/dark pink energy ball formed right above his hand. When he felt it was done charging, Luster unleashed the ultimate attack with a hot-blooded yell, bringing it down upon the fallen Super Saiyan Nappa. A huge smoke cloud was made.

When it dissipated, Nappa was lying in the middle of a massive crater, defeated once again. His health was depleted in its entirety. The quest was now over. A small holographic screen appeared in front of Luster's face, showing him how much Zeni and experience he earned. Not only that, there was the rank to consider as well.

" _Z Rank?! That's the best one ya can get! Oh man, this is my first one! Awesome!_ " Luster mentally exclaimed in excitement, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

" _Hey, not bad. Ranks are decided upon how well you perform in the quest, as you might expect. If you take less damage, if you complete the quest as fast as you can, if you use as many different kinds of techniques as possible...all kinds of factors are taken into consideration. Of course, the harder the quests get, the harder it'll be to earn that Z Rank. This isn't necessarily an easy quest, but it's not difficult either. Still, you did good. It's a sign of how far you've come_ ," Ace praised the cat.

" _Yeah...thanks, Ace. You're a really cool guy_."

" _Heh. You're a pretty cool cat. I'd like to meet more Mobians like you someday. Do you think I could ever meet your friends?_ " Ace wondered.

Luster paused for a moment to think. " _Probably. Tails might build some kinda warpin' machine that'll let us go across universes easily. That'll be a good idea 'cause this kinda thing might happen again someday._ "

" _It's not entirely a bad thing, is it? Being lost in a world almost entirely unfamiliar to you must be daunting. I know I was the same when Trunks summoned me to Toki Toki City._ "

" _Nope, it's not bad at all. I always meet some awesome people and get stronger thanks to those people. That's always good. So it's not bad_."

" _I feel the same way. I'm happy to have met Trunks, the Supreme Kai of Time...the Elder Kai, I guess...as well as everyone else in the Time Patrol. I've even helped train some patrollers before. Other than you, of course. Combine that with my accomplishments and I'm probably the one that everyone looks up to. I went from a nobody to a hero in about a month at most. So, being brought out of your comfort zone or in our case, being brought to another world...it really isn't bad._ "

Luster nodded.

" _Totally_ ," he smiled again, engaged in a sea of bliss. " _I'm headin' back. What're we gonna do next?_ "

" _More training. Your moveset is perfect at this point for what you wanna do. From here on out, it's all a matter of making you stronger, faster and more durable. We've also gotta make that fighting style of yours second nature, so that you don't second guess yourself in the middle of a battle. You can't have any indecisiveness out there. Does that sound good?_ "

" _Sounds good to me. Headin' back now_."

Luster pressed the appropriate buttons on the small, holographic screen, bringing him back to Conton City's Recreation Plaza, beside Ace. The two friends continued to train together, making each other stronger and better at fighting with each passing bout. Though their power wasn't the only thing increasing. It was also the strength of their friendship.

While Ace and Luster became closer friends, Chronoa, Trunks and Elder Kai continued with their fruitless and seemingly hopeless search of Towa as well as Mephiles. Neither of them had shown up in several days, not since the Chaos Emerald fiasco during Past Luster's fight with Nazo. Nothing from history had been changed. There was no indication of any further activity from either Towa or Mephiles. Therefore, the search seemed pointless. Elder Kai switched his focus solely to searching for a method to bring back Luster's sealed memories due to how useless the search was becoming. Due to that sole focus, an idea was slowly coming to the old Shinjin.

 _Age ?_

 _Earth From an Unknown Time_

Meanwhile, Towa and Mephiles resumed preparations from within the secret, underground and long abandoned laboratory. The visage of Mira was slowly being formed in his test tube-like container, though it was clear that his restoration would take much longer. Towa knew that she couldn't rely on him...as much as she wanted to.

Iblis was still being held within another giant test tube, stuck within its primordial form that the Soleannan scientists were so used to. Mephiles explained why he looked so different from the Flames of Disaster when Towa asked about that. The shadowy Mobian attributed his present appearence to one Shadow the Hedgehog, though before he was sealed in the Sceptre of Darkness by that ridiculous man...Adam Braveherd. How he regretted not killing him before merging with Iblis before. Perhaps he'd get his chance in due time.

"I see...tell you what. When I use Solaris' power to harness this universe's energy and feed some of it into the Demon Realm, I'll let you get your revenge on your own world. You can then defeat this 'Shadow' as a kind of 'thank you gift'," Towa offered her partner.

"How tempting. I think I'll accept that offer. I would love nothing more than to eliminate the ones that gave me so much trouble, even if they don't remember what they did," Mephiles reluctantly reminded himself of those so-called 'heroes'. "Why don't we start now? We have the emeralds. Are you done with your evaluations?"

"Just give it some time. It's not like time will matter when we're ready, so there's no need to rush. All I need to wait for is my analyser to decode the secrets of those Chaos Emeralds, so I can learn to harness their energy for myself someday. It won't take much longer."

She was right. About an hour later, the machine that contained the seven gems of power finished what it was doing. Towa fetched the tray that held the emeralds while they were in the machine and placed it on a table. She turned to Mephiles with an immensely malicious expression.

"Let's get started," the villainess said.

"Indeed," Mephiles agreed.

The Mobian grabbed each of the seven Chaos Emeralds while the resident of the Demon Realm approached Iblis' scientific prison. Mephiles began to siphon energy from the emeralds. As he did so, he rose through the air, bursting through the ceiling, the ground and then the roof of the building they were underneath. Iblis followed. The flames detected what was going on.

Becoming just an observer, Towa observed the destruction of her universe and the rebirth of the God of Time. Mephiles and Iblis embraced each other once more, creating the bright light that enveloped every timeline as well as every living being that ever existed in this dimension. Nobody was safe.

Time was no more, once again.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_


	9. Battle the God of Time!

_Before time was erased...again..._

More time faded away after Mephiles the Dark and Towa's thievery of the Chaos Emeralds, stolen from a timeline that needed them. For some reason, the malicious energy that was covering the timeline's Scroll of Eternity dissipated, indicating that the Time Patrol's intervention was no longer necessary, despite the Chaos Emeralds still being thieved. Because they didn't know what to do about this, the higher ranking members of the Time Patrol gave themselves extra time to try and figure it all out.

Also, this added time gave Luster a greater range of opportunities to be trained by Ace. A full moveset - full as per Conton City's limitations - was thought up for Luster. It was supposedly the best collection of techniques he could ever have for his desired rushdown fighting style. Luster now knew: the quick, piercing Death Beam; the beam barrage attack known as Endless Shoot; the useful evasive manoeuvre called Mach Dash; the legendary Kaio-ken; the backwards evasion technique Super Back Jump and lastly, the ultra-powerful Super Vanishing Ball.

There were two more techniques that he didn't get to use during his fight with Super Saiyan Nappa. Perhaps he'd get to use them soon. Once he finished that Parallel Quest, Luster was awarded with a Z Rank - the best one a Time Patroller can get. His abilities and knowledge of his fighting style allowed him to achieve such a status. What made it even better was that his new moves didn't overwrite his previous ones, meaning his repertoire of techniques only increased, making him a deadlier fighter. As Luster and Ace bonded further, Trunks, Chronoa and Elder Kai resumed their search for Towa and Mephiles, though it seemed as if Elder Kai figured something out.

In the meantime, the two time-manipulating villains had been hiding in that abandoned city. Towa specifically was studying the energetic makeup of the Chaos Emeralds. She was intrigued and enticed by their massive mystical might. Mephiles wasn't pleased with this as he just wanted to get their plans moving again. Luckily, Towa's analysis machine soon became complete. The Chaos Emeralds, the Flames of Disaster and Mephiles...they were all ready.

Solaris was reborn, again.

We continue on from those events.

 _Time and Date Unknown_

Everyone that was inside the Time Nest felt something amiss. Trunks, Elder Kai, Chronoa, Ace and Luster all knew that something was wrong. A great disturbance within the universe occurred. But Chronoa was the one that knew almost exactly what happened.

"Oh no...the universe...all these timelines…" Chronoa cried out, as if she'd been stabbed with something incredibly sharp.

"What? What is it, Supreme Kai of Time?!" Trunks started to worry. Never had he seen Chronoa like this before. Of course, with Demigra's uprising, she was frighteningly mad, but never upset.

A humongous feeling of dread washed over everybody as Chronoa spoke.

"They're all gone."

Everyone gasped. They widened their eyes in shock, their bodies contorting backwards like they were about to be hit by something huge. In a jolt of fear, Trunks hurried over to a random Scroll of Eternity. It crumbled as he picked it up.

So he tried another. The same thing happened. Every single scroll that he tried to inspect all met with the same shattering fate. It was just as Chronoa said - every timeline was gone. Trunks stood in the air, frozen in utter surprise as everyone else felt the same way.

"Oh, what terrible timing…! Just as I was about to share that discovery I made! That's the only reason we called you two over," Elder Kai motioned towards Ace and Luster. "It seems as if you're not going to get your little gift just yet. Right now, we have more important things to worry about. And I wasn't about to give it to you right away anyway…"

Luster was confused at this, but nodded along. He and Ace were telepathically informed of the old Shinjin's finding almost immediately after the completion of the Super Saiyan Nappa Parallel Quest. It seemed to be important, and pertained particularly to Luster...the cat was initially excited to find out what it was.

But he was instead met with a familiar universal destruction.

"I've been through this before...I don't remember anythin' about it though. Gotta be somethin' do with Solaris, whoever that guy is," Luster started saying aloud. "I'm pretty sure Solaris did this. And he has somethin' to do with Mephiles and Iblis...man, I really can't remember at all."

"It'll come to you," Ace reassured his friend. "Hey, Supreme Kai of Time, do you know anything else about this event? If the universe has been erased, then why are we still here? Why did the Time Nest survive?"

"I imagine that it's because of the Time Nest's unique temporal properties. Or, more likely, because of that barrier we have up. At least, we used to have up. No doubt it's been destroyed thanks to Solaris…" Chronoa paused momentarily. Then she became upset once more. "No…! Tokitoki!"

"What happened?" Trunks wondered, having already returned to the group on the floor.

"He's dead! I can't feel his presence anymore...his existence must be intrinsically linked to the universe itself. Now that it's gone…" Chronoa weakly responded. "I...I've failed in my duty as a Supreme Kai of Time. There's…"

"Hey now…" Ace walked towards Chronoa, who was now on her knees. As he was preparing to calm her down, the Kai spoke in his place.

"No...just, don't, Ace...I already know that it wasn't entirely my fault. But I still feel like I failed...I've kept him alive for tens of thousands of years. Now he's dead and the universe is gone...I feel like napping forever," Chronoa cried.

Ace backed down. He, along with everyone else there, allowed Chronoa to weep. They stood there in silence as they allowed the once happy Supreme Kai to have a moment of sadness. But something happened. Rather, some _one_ appeared.

"Oh please, spare me the tears. You're not the only one who was messed with."

"That's…!" Trunks realised, turning around to face the visage of the owner of that sudden voice.

It was Towa.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

Right in front of the shadowy doorway leading out of the Time Vault, the very same enemy of the Time Patrol that had been messing with them about a year ago was standing firmly and with resolution. Towa was folding her arms and was also frowning, indicating a great deal of anger. Ace, Chronoa and Trunks readied themselves for battle, but Towa dismissed that notion.

"I'm not going to fight any of you. You need to calm down," she waved her hand, greatly hinting at no hostilities. "Haven't you noticed what kind of situation we're all in? I think that a petty squabble like this would just be pathetic."

"Petty?! You're the one who messed with history time and time again! Why should we calm down when we know that you have no capacity for goodness?" Trunks growled.

"The universe is gone. It's not as if I can do anything without it. Neither can you, I assume," Towa guessed, having noticed the crumbled scrolls on the floor. "Look, I want the universe back as much as you do. I feel it's in both of our best interests if we join up to defeat the thing that's caused all this."

"You know about Solaris?" Chronoa asked.

Towa's frown tightened for a moment. "Of course. I was working with Mephiles, as you should know. It's only natural that I would know everything about the God of Time and its two halves. Don't you? You have a Mobian with you, too. Shouldn't you know exactly the same things I do?"

"Well…'our' Mobian doesn't remember what happened. He only knows Mephiles', Iblis' and Solaris' names. Also, whenever he thinks of them, he gets a general feeling of evil...ness. That's all we know," Chronoa responded. She was starting to get more comfortable around Towa, but Ace and Trunks were still ready to attack whenever they needed. "Does Mephiles remember? Shouldn't he be with you?"

"Yes, he remembers," Towa's frown intensified. "I'd rather not think about that foolish, manipulative Mobian. He tricked me...used me...now I want nothing but to repay him for his 'kindness'. If we join forces, we can combine our knowledge and power to defeat Solaris, the being that's caused the destruction of our world. I would ask that you lower your swords...your fists, too. I can't be expected to work with a threat looming over my shoulder."

Ace and Trunks looked over to Chronoa. The three of them, plus Elder Kai, were all nervous about the offer that their somewhat longtime enemy was putting forth. However, more than any of them, Chronoa knew the gravity of the situation. Luster simply watched from the background. Chronoa soon came to a decision.

"Alright. We'll work with you. But if you ever try something bad…!" the Supreme Kai of Time accepted the villain's offer, though she was interrupted by said villain.

"I understand. Know that I do not intend on doing anything of the sort. It would be stupid if I did. I'm not foolish enough to believe I can defeat Solaris on my own. Surely you all can tell how strong it is," Towa nodded in an attempt to quell their nervousness.

Everyone scanned the area, only to have their Ki senses immediately met with a gigantic signature coming from far above. Chronoa, Elder Kai, Trunks, Ace and Luster were all utterly surprised, perhaps even more so than their discovery of the general situation, to find that the being was **immensely powerful**. Far stronger than any of them...combined. Everyone - except Towa - dropped some sweat.

"You're right...what is this power?! This is the thing that destroyed the universe?" Ace rhetorically asked.

"It's far too powerful for its own good…" Elder Kai commented.

Luster, as before, felt a sense of familiarity with this energy, but his restricted memories were sticking around. Deep down, he knew exactly what was happening. That knowledge failed to release itself. The cat stood there in shock.

"Indeed. What you're sensing right now is the energy of the God of Time, Solaris. It was created when Mephiles used the power of the Chaos Emeralds to merge with the Flames of Disaster, Iblis. As soon as Solaris was formed, the universe was destroyed. And, well, here we are," Towa explained. "Admittedly, Mephiles didn't tell me many specifics. He never truly cared about helping me...he only used my capabilities so he could obtain the emeralds and the flames…"

"What else did he tell you?" Trunks wondered, lowering his guard somewhat.

"He told me that he and Iblis were created from extracting leftover DNA of a candle that contained the God of Time's spirit. There was something about several gods from that other universe leaving behind certain objects of some kind that contained traces of their spirits. Solaris' candle is just one example of that, I believe," Towa replied. "He also told me about his hatred for two hedgehogs in particular. One was called...Shadow...I'm not so sure about the other one."

"Shadow? I know him," Luster spoke up. "Is Mephiles actually Shadow's brother or somethin'? 'Cause they sure looked like each other."

"Mephiles mentioned that in his primordial form, he stole Shadow's...shadow. That's why he looks like your friend," Towa answered the cat. "He said that you were quite the nusiance, but of course, he knew that you wouldn't be able to remember what happened. Those two hedgehogs, along with a third, somehow were able to go to the point in time before Soleanna's scientists began testing on Solaris' candle. Then they blew out the candle, thus massively changing time. That's why you're not able to remember anything."

"So it's because of Sonic and Shadow...also whoever that third guy is. And they're not gonna know about it either. Wait, Mephiles and Iblis were made in Soleanna? Huh, interestin'," Luster realised. "But how'd I get here?"

Towa sighed, slightly irritated at having to answer so many questions in such a short span of time. "Mephiles explained to me that while you were fighting Solaris, you ended up being trapped in a pocket dimension that the God of Time made to prevent you from attacking. It seems you really were quite the nuisance. But when your allies eliminated Solaris after going back in time, that caused some kind of interdimensional time paradox which had the effect of sending you, Mephiles and Iblis into this dimension. Don't ask why here...I don't know and don't care."

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Luster was already sent to this world once before...perhaps our world and his are somehow linked," Chronoa suggested.

"Hey, whatever's good. I'm just glad that I came here instead of a world I don't know about," Luster remarked with a smile.

The members of the Time Patrol smiled upon hearing that. Each of them were pleased to hear their friendly visitor talk good about their locale. Though, Elder Kai wasn't about to so obviously show that he cared and Towa obviously didn't care either.

"That's all well and good, but it doesn't change the fact that we still have Solaris to deal with. Now how do you all propose we do that?" Elder Kai shifted their focus.

"I can just use my Super Form...that'll work!" Luster sounded confident.

"If I remember correctly, Mephiles said that you and your friends were using their Super Forms to attack Solaris. So that might actually do something," Towa remembered. "And besides, I'm keen to see this power myself."

"Yeah, well, prepare to be amazed...uh, you," Luster didn't know Towa well enough to give her a small nickname. He shrugged this off and began to power up…

To no avail.

"Well? Aren't I supposed to be amazed?" Towa teasingly smiled.

"Yeah you are...it's just not workin'. Why's it not workin'? I'm doin' the same thing I always do...hey, Supreme Kai of Time, what's goin' on?" Luster asked.

"We're no longer in Conton City...that must be why you can't access your Super Form...that was our only ticket for victory. I don't suppose anyone else has any other ideas?" Chronoa looked over to the rest of her friends, but nobody had anything to suggest.

Except Towa. "Upon Solaris' rebirth, I shielded myself with my magic, which is the reason why I'm even here to begin with. But when I arrived here, I appeared on this platform with these strange symbols and patterns...it looked like nothing I'd ever seen before. That's not the important part. What else was on that platform...there was a large, green Chaos Emerald. And out of it came this red ball of energy. It started speaking to me, then it asked me to bring you over." She pointed to Luster.

"Huh? Me?" the cat questioned his self importance. "Wait a minute...big green emerald? Red ball? That's gotta be Tikal and Chaos!"

"Who?" Trunks asked.

"Chaos is the God of Destruction from my universe and Tikal is...his carer? I dunno really, but she's there and really helpful. I have no idea how they got here…" Luster responded to his friend. "We gotta go talk to 'em. They can help us out."

"That's our only option right now. We'll trust in whatever this Tikal and Chaos people can do," Chronoa accepted the idea. "That Chaos Emerald could be some help as well…"

"What are we waiting for? Let's get moving, right now!" Elder Kai demanded action.

Nobody else had anything to say. They were all eager to get moving and defeat Solaris as soon as possible. Only then would they be able to find a way to save their world. Hopefully. Everyone just kinda assumed that everything would fix itself upon Solaris' defeat. Will that be the case? It's at least what they chose to believe in.

 _The Void_

As soon as they stepped outside of the Time Vault, the situation became evermore peculiar to the members of the Time Patrol. Instead of the usual bright sky that covered the Time Nest, there was an endless black-purple void that radiated darkness. An uninviting, dreadful environment...everyone except Towa, who was used to it at this point, was put off thanks to their new surroundings.

The portal that once led to Conton City no longer worked. All that familiar energy was now gone. This meant the only way out was up. So they flew past the ceiling and were then able to get a good idea of just how expansive the void was. And they were terrified of it. Except Towa, of course. She simply led the Time Patrol members to a shrine that rested beside the Time Nest, one that looked completely foreign to the universe that was once there.

Upon it was that large green Chaos Emerald Towa talked about.

"The Master Emerald! I knew it!" Luster was happy to see a familiar face (?). When the group landed on the circular platform base of the shrine, the cat approached the Master Emerald and generally appreciated its presence.

"Oh, this is the Master Emerald? Looks a lot like a bigger version of that green Chaos Emerald," Ace commented, using his one-time look at the emeralds as reference.

"You know about this thing, Ace?" Trunks asked his partner.

"Uh-huh. Luster told me about a bunch of things from his universe. The Master Emerald was only one of them. Basically, it's exactly what the name implies. It's the master of all Chaos Emeralds. It can directly infuence the emeralds and stop them if they're running amok or whatever. The thing is usually guarded by one of Luster's friends, but clearly, that's not the case right now," Ace explained the Master Emerald to his compadres. "Hey, Luster, everything okay?"

"Yep, it's all good...whoa!" Luster exclaimed in a shocked recoil.

Just as he was inspecting the Master Emerald to ensure that it was in good condition, that familiar red ball emerged from the gigantic gem. The ball soon dissipated in a bright light. In its place was an orange echidna and a humanoid water deity.

"Hello, Luster. It's good to see you again. Though, for us, it has been very soon since our last meeting," Tikal greeted her fellow Mobian.

"Tikal! Chaos! How'd you guys get here?" Luster promptly questioned.

"We knew something was wrong when that dark Mobian appeared and stole the Chaos Emeralds. For some reason, he decided to seal us away in some kind of spherical cage that we couldn't break through. When the universe was destroyed, we were saved, likely as a result of that cage. From there, we were sent here. Then we met with this Towa person," Tikal explained. "She informed us of the situation. Chaos and I will do everything in our power to help you with the God of Time.

"Cool! But we don't have the Chaos Emeralds…" Luster's head drooped upon remembering that.

Chaos silently moved itself around in a vain attempt of communication. Luckily, Tikal was on hand to translate, a fact that had to be explained to the Time Patrol members by Luster.

"He says that is no problem. Chaos has detected that the Chaos Emeralds have been flung to different corners of this universe...it seems as if it hasn't been fully destroyed. Solaris has an iron grip on some of your timelines and it's in seven of those areas that it has stored away the emeralds for future use. With Chaos' guidance and my power, we can create several portals that will take us to those locked timelines, where we can then obtain the Chaos Emeralds and use them to defeat Solaris," Tikal offered the translation.

"Wow, you can really do that?" Chronoa was amazed. "I guess Gods of Destruction have to be awesome in some way…"

"I'm just glad Goku isn't here. He'd probably try to fight Chaos right here and now," Ace jokingly commented.

"Another animal?" Elder Kai sighed in disappointment.

"Anyway, we're thankful for the help," Trunks prevented anyone from diverting the important conversation too far away from the main issue at hand. "Having those emeralds really will be a big help, Tikal and Chaos. Thank you."

"Chaos and I are always happy to help," Tikal returned with a smile.

Towa frowned. She momentarily reacted as if she remembered something important.

"Hold on. Even with those Chaos Emeralds, it won't be enough," she claimed. "Mephiles said that Luster's friends were fighting Solaris in their Super Forms. There were at least three of them fighting him. We've only got one. Unless Chaos wants to join in on the fight, we don't stand a chance."

"Chaos doesn't want to fight anymore. He has caused too much needless pain and destruction in the past...therefore, he chooses not to fight…" Tikal was soon interrupted by more communication attempts from the God of Destruction himself. "Oh? You're saying you want to fight? I guess you all can disregard what I just said. Chaos will assist you in battle directly."

"Oh yeah! Chaos has his Perfect form! That'll help out a lot!" Luster exclaimed, remembering Sonic's fight with the super-charged deity.

"Actually, the Perfect transformation that you saw was Chaos' Dark Form, since he used the negative energy of the emeralds instead of the positive. He possesses a Super Form just like you," Tikal informed the cat. "I assume you know about Dark Forms."

Chronoa raised her hand. "We don't."

"I understand. Dark Forms are the inverse of Super Forms. Whereas Super Forms utilise the positive energy of the emeralds, Dark Forms make use of negative Chaos Energy. Super Forms are inherently stronger since positive Chaos Energy naturally repels any kind of negative energy. Also, Dark Forms can be accessed by anyone, but you naturally become more violent and destructive in that mode. Super Forms are only accessed by Avatars of Chaos, which only include myself and Luster. Chaos himself obviously can use whichever transformation he wants," Tikal happily explained.

"Why doesn't he just make us into Avatars of Chaos?" Elder Kai asked.

"Because he doesn't wish to spread that status into other worlds. Chaos would prefer to keep it contained within our universe. It is something that he will not do at all," Tikal translated. "Chaos realises that even with his strength, we still won't have enough collective power to defeat Solaris definitively. It is a being that exists both in the past, present and future. We will need to defeat it in those three time zones."

"Understood. First, we'll need to get those emeralds, right?" Chronoa wanted confirmation.

"Yes. Chaos and I will begin to open the portals…" Tikal nodded.

She and the God of Destruction began temporarily combining their abilities. After some time of utilising their power, seven oval-shaped portals emerged around the shrine's main platform - the one they were all standing on.

"So, there's eight of us...one of us will have to stay behind and guard the Master Emerald. I vote for the old man," Chronoa raised her hand, casting her vote.

"What?! I deserve to do something! Allow me to go in place of one of you!" Elder Kai demanded.

"Sorry, but the jobs have already been assigned! Besides, Chaos and Tikal are much better Chaos Emerald searcher candidates than you. You'll do better as a guard," Chronoa stated.

Elder Kai frowned and folded his arms in a childish manner. "Hmph! If that's really how you feel about me...a frail old man...wait, I'm not frail! Just go! Go, get those emeralds, then come back! You best not be gone for very long, all of you."

"Don't worry, Elder Kai! We'll be back before you know it. See you later!" Ace reassured the Shinjin, before stepping into a portal.

Chronoa, Trunks, Luster, Towa, Tikal and Chaos followed suit with their own respective portals. Reluctantly, Elder Kai sat in front of the Master Emerald and patiently waited for everyone else to return quickly. Luster was one of the last to go. Before he left, he internally remarked how similar Elder Kai's mannerisms and situation of guarding the Master Emerald was to Knuckles, generally. The cat smiled, then hopped through the portal, keen to save the universe.

And then there was the end of the world. Many places throughout history had been greatly distorted thanks to Solaris' influence. Whole planets, monumental occurrences, fantastic fights...they were all affected. Every single part of history found itself under attack by strange eyeball-looking portals that all flung out random objects as well as pieces of ground picked up from across time. The colours of each timeline were greatly altered and were constantly changing, creating an extremely peculiar, horrifying rave-like effect. Those that touched the portals immediately died without warning.

That meant those who were searching for the Chaos Emeralds amongst seven of these time periods had to be especially careful. Chronoa was searching for the red emerald alongside Majin Buu's rampage of the Kais - a time she wished she'd never have to see again. Trunks stealthily hid his power while Goku took on Androids 19 and 20 so he could locate the yellow emerald in peace. Ace was curious about the young Super Saiyan hero who was dilligently fighing against Omega Shenron, but the Future Warrior didn't have time to dawdle, as the green Chaos Emerald was nearby.

Towa had to stomach her way through her brother's death at the hands of Majin Buu. Despite her desire to intervene, saving the universe was a priority. She quickly discovered the purple emerald and used a portal made by Chaos to return to the void. Luster curiously observed as Goku engaged a pink, female Majin in battle, but then he remembered his mission, so he grabbed the grey Chaos Emerald and got out of there. Tikal was amongst the colony of Saiyans moments before Planet Vegeta's destruction by Frieza's hands. She was able to get the light blue emerald fairly easily. Finally, Chaos didn't care for Super Saiyan God Goku's battle against Beerus, the other God of Destruction, as he was more focused on obtaining that dark blue Chaos Emerald.

Although the end of the world was taking place, events in history mostly played out as normal, just with the abnormal Solaris effects covering these different timelines. They soon became a problem for history's residents, but by that time, the Chaos Emerald searchers had returned to the shrine, seven jewels in hand.

"You seven took long enough!" Elder Kai exclaimed. "You're lucky that I'm a very patient Kai!"

"Be quiet, old Shinjin. I don't need to hear you complaining. We have the emeralds now, so shut up," Towa verbally fought back, quietening Elder Kai.

"She is correct. Now, everyone, move back. There is something that we must do first. Something that will secure our victory," Tikal requested. Besides herself and Chaos, everyone moved to the sides of the circular shrine platform, placing their Chaos Emeralds beside the Master Emerald before moving to the sides.

"Hey, Tikal, what are you doing?" Luster wondered as Tikal used her magic to move the Master Emerald into the centre of the platform from a distance.

"As I said earlier, we currently do not have the required power needed to defeat Solaris. Even if we all transformed into our strongest states, that still will not be enough. But there is something we can do to further increase our overall strength," Tikal started to explain. "Do you know of the Hyper Form?"

"Uh…" Luster tried to remind himself of what the ancient Echidna was talking about. "Wait, that's the transformation that Sonic told us about. He said it was really dangerous and it almost made him destroy the whole world...wait, you wanna use THAT?!"

"It is our only choice. And you will be the one to use it," Tikal responded blankly.

Luster's eyes widened. "Me?! Why me? Why not Chaos?"

"Because he cannot access a Hyper Form. Since he is already a being made of Chaos Energy, the Super Emeralds wouldn't do anything to him other than to boost his power. So technically, he will be using them, it's merely that he won't be using the transformation since he can't," Tikal explained again. "Normally, this would be done on Angel Island in the Hidden Palace Zone, but that's not an option for us. We will have to make do here."

"But I...I dunno if I can do it…" Luster started to nervously worry, but calmed down when a hand reached his shoulder.

"Only you can do it, Luster. You've shown me that you can surpass warriors that once gave you trouble. Your strength has grown pretty quickly in the time you've been with us...you've also become a good friend to me. To us. So don't worry," Ace reassured the cat yet again. "I believe in you. We all do. Even Towa does, though I'm sure it's just because she wants to get back to her evil plans."

Towa didn't seem to care about what Ace said.

"...Really?" Luster started to feel hopeful.

"Yeah, totally. We all believe in you. I'm sure that Tikal and Chaos wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to you. So, let's see that new power. Let's see that Hyper Form. I can't wait," Ace smiled, further encouraging his friend.

Luster was silent, but then a great big smile emerged on his face. "Heh, alright. I'll do it! Tikal, I'll take that Hyper Form and I'll use it to smack Solaris many times over!"

"Excellent," Tikal said after placing the Chaos Emeralds around the Master Emerald in a circular formation. She and Chaos stood away from the gems. "Allow me to do the ancient prayer…I'll need complete silence for this."

Everyone complied. Silence was quickly attained.

"The servers are the seven Chaos...Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart...the controller is the one that unifies the Chaos…" Tikal began the mantra. "Please, controller...change the Chaos. Give them power. Transform them. Transform them into the Super Chaos…!"

Shortly after the prayer was completed, all of the emeralds began to glow a solid white. Immense charges of Chaos Energy pulsed around the shine, shaking the Time Patrol members - as well as Luster and Towa - to their very cores. Soon, the massive energy output decreased. The solid white Chaos Emeralds soon grew in size. They almost became the same size as the Master Emerald. Before long, the energy died down entirely and the white glow disappeared.

In place of the Chaos Emeralds were the Super Emeralds. Now Luster could use them.

"Whoa...these things are amazing! Luster's gonna draw on _their_ _power_?" Chronoa asked in astonishment.

"Indeed. Luster, please stand forth. Preferably on top of the Master Emerald," Tikal instructed.

Still slightly nervous, the cat did as he was asked. He flew on top of the large jewel and waited for further instructions. He took a quick glance at Ace, who was smiling and giving Luster a thumbs-up, temporarily quelling the fear that rested inside of him.

"Now draw upon the Super Emeralds' power. Do the same as you would for the regular emeralds," Tikal continued.

Luster nodded and closed his eyes. He quickly 'grabbed' onto the energy signature that the Super Emeralds were practically leaking. Then, the Mobian allowed all of that immense power to flow inside of him. All of the Super Emeralds began to glow their respective colours when he did this. A massive white light appeared from the top of the Master Emerald and reached into the depths of the void above, completely enveloping Luster in its brilliance.

That's when Luster began to change. His light blue fur was completely changed to a rapid, colour changing effect. His eye remained black, but his power, speed and durability skyrocketed. It reached to a level far beyond that of the Super Form. This was the power that Sonic warned all of his friends about. This was the Hyper Form.

Later, the light dissipated and the Super Emerald returned to normal. Hyper Luster was now standing on top of the Master Emerald, his power immediately apparent to everyone there. And they were all speechless.

For a time.

"This…! This is insane! I...I can't describe it, other than it's so powerful!" Trunks exclaimed in a flash of amazement and wonder.

"Yeah, it's incredible! I'm glad this transformation is on our side," Ace commented.

"He still shouldn't let this power to go his head...too much power can harm a person if they're not ready for it," Elder Kai claimed.

"Who cares? This power's so amazing, he could probably take on Solaris all by himself! It's just that strong!" Chronoa added, smiling from the excess of mental energy being shared across her allies.

" _If only I knew about this beforehand...I could've used the Super Emeralds for my own purposes. It's too late now_ ," Towa internally remarked.

Hyper Luster inspected his new self. He quickly shielded his eyes from the intense flashing of random colours and differing shades of those colours.

"I guess I am pretty strong now, huh...why did Sonic not want us to use this? Oh well, I just wanna beat that Solaris guy right away! Let's do it! Yeah!" the hyper-powered Mobian found himself filled to the brim with energy.

In a fit of pure, heightened and limit-breaking determination, Hyper Luster flew up towards the light above, the spot where he was certain Solaris was hiding out at. He was going to beat him down for the sake of the universe. Ace, Chronoa, Trunks and Towa had to chase after him, but for some reason, Chaos chose not to follow. He soon explained his reasoning to Tikal.

"Oh, I see...you're confident in their abilities. And the others, the ones from this world, they can still draw on some of the energy from the emeralds. You believe they can do it, don't you, Chaos?" Tikal realised, smiling. Chaos seemed to nod. "I do too."

"As do I," Elder Kai agreed. "I don't like to admit these kinds of things, but that transformation will certainly save the day. I'll bet on it with my life."

The old Shinjin, the forever young Echidna and the God of Destruction stood there on the shrine, patiently awaiting for their allies to return successfully. For their sake, Solaris had to be beaten. But primarily, it was all for the sake of the universe.

 _Solaris_

Solaris, the God of Time. The strange, blue tinted deity wore its cyan shells over its arms and its torso. Those six triangular pieces loosely connected to the ring behind its back were certainly interesting to those that were about to face it in combat.

Hyper Luster was on his own. He was to engage Solaris in the present. Super Saiyan 3 Ace and Super Saiyan Trunks began to fight Solaris in the past, while Chronoa and Towa took Solaris in the future. Every one of the deity opposing fighters were truly amazed at such a being. Its power was very noticeable before, but now that they were this close to it, its strength was ever present in their minds and souls.

"Can you even fight?" Towa asked the Supreme Kai of Time, doubtful of her abilities.

"I sure can. It's just that most of the time, I limit myself to looking after Tokitoki. But now, he's gone and so is the universe. I've got to step up…" Chronoa firmly answered. "I didn't think I'd ever have to use this form again. The stakes are high, so I've got to. I've just got to."

"Oh? You can transform? Then why don't you show me this power of yours...I'm honestly very interested," Towa commented, firing a few beams of dark magic from her staff to keep Solaris busy; using the Spear Shock technique.

Chronoa was silent as she crossed her arms into a x-shape and put them up against her torso. She then began to charge a large amount of her energy, using both godly and regular Ki. A sudden bout of smoke emerged, forcing Towa to break away from her 'partner' a little. Out from the deep, misty smoke that soon dissipated, a taller, more mature looking incarnation of Chronoa appeared. She gained a white cloak with a yellow undershirt. Her hair was longer and she now possessed a halo which rested behind her back. It resembled a clock - how appropriate.

"This is my Power of Time Unleashed transformation. I haven't used it in a very long time...now's a perfect opportunity to bring it back!" the new Supreme Kai of Time yelled. "Let's do this, Towa! This destroyer of time cannot be allowed to exist any more!"

"Wow…" Towa merely commented with slightly wide eyes. "Impressive. I like this new version of you. It's very strong indeed...perhaps with the power of those Super Emeralds and that Master Emerald, we'll be able to win. Let's find out."

Power of Time Unleashed Chronoa fired multiple rays of light from her halo while Towa continued to send dark magical beams from the tip of her staff. Their attacks collided with the huge land masses that Solaris was picking up from across time and telekinetically throwing at its opponents. Some of their attacks got through, though most of them were met with a barrier. Still, the new Chronoa and Towa powered on, unloading all the techniques and powerful moves that they could muster. Both women fought with all their might. Solaris wasn't allowed to continue existing.

With Super Saiyan 3 Ace and Super Saiyan Trunks, they were able to decimate all the rocks and entire countries that were thrown at them. Trunks was able to slice them into multiple miniscule pieces with his trusty blade, while Ace launched all the ranged techniques he had. Which was only two: the Kamehameha and the Super Kamehameha. Apart from the standard Ki waves and spheres, things that he used more commonly.

"We've felt so many strong things lately...are you excited like I am, Trunks?" Ace asked his longtime partner and friend.

"I guess...my Saiyan blood is definitely getting me in the mood to fight. All these strong people, I just can't ignore it. But our goal's my main focus. We've gotta save the universe," Trunks replied, firing a large yellow Ki blast after performing some incredibly quick hand movements - the Burning Attack.

"That's right. I'm not gonna let this guy get away with what he's done, no matter if he is a god!" Ace exclaimed, shooting a Super Kamehameha at his foe. Both attacks met the barrier and dissipated upon contact.

"We've got to get past that barrier...once we do, all of us will have a much easier time dealing with this guy," Trunks realised. "Let's do this together, partner."

"Got it," Ace nodded.

The Future Warrior mustered up all the power he could gather from within himself. He channeled it all into his next attack, another Super Kamehameha. Trunks did the same, but instead prepared an incredible Super Buster Cannon, putting his hands behind his back to charge up the energy and then extending both arms out in front of him once the charge got to a certain point. As soon as both moves were ready, the warriors let 'em rip. The combined Super Kamehameha and Super Buster Cannon ripped through the void, reaching the barrier and then initiating a struggle.

Ace and Trunks kept putting more and more energy into their beams. A second wind came...the Super Emeralds were empowering them further! With a sudden addition of more Chaos Energy, the combined attack pierced the barrier, eliminating it for good. It tore through the God of Time effortlessly, dealing a huge amount of damage to the deity. Most of its shells had been torn straight off as a result of that one attack, a change that was clearly noticeable to the other fighters and their respective bouts.

"Alright, we've just got to keep pushing it! It has to go down at some point!" Super Saiyan 3 Ace stated, firing more and more energy attacks alongside his fellow Saiyan friend.

Meanwhile, Hyper Luster was doing fine. Thanks to the strength of the transformation, he'd been powering through every single attack that Solaris tried on him. Lasers, huge land masses and even beams the size of planets. None of that worked on the Hyper Form.

One time, when the God of Time tried to fire one of these beams, Hyper Luster simply punched the attack, reflecting it completely. The strength of this new form was too much for Solaris to handle. Shortly after that, its barrier was downed thanks to Ace and Trunks' attack.

"Cool! Now I can show this guy what my true power really is all about! Here ya go, time hurtin' loser! This is just a little taste of what I can do!" the overly energetic cat taunted.

Hyper Luster began to charge a Spin Dash from where he was. Then, he launched himself ahead at a speed that not even Solaris could react to - the Aerial Spin Dash. The ripping and tearing power of the attack was enough to cut through Solaris like the deity wasn't even there to begin with. But Luster wasn't done yet. He used the technique several more times, slicing and dicing the God of Time with each consecutive hit. Hyper Luster finished it up with a massive Super Vanishing Ball. It engulfed the God of Time, dealing an immense amount of damage.

"How'd you like that?! Huh?!" the Mobian laughed, almost maniacally.

That combination attack was powerful enough to finish off the already damaged deity. Solaris fell into the abyss below, marking the end of the fight. Since the fighters lacked the telepathy systems from Conton City, they couldn't communicate with each other, but it didn't really matter since they were doing fine enough on their own.

But then a new fight began. Within a circular tower of light, Solaris returned. Now it was different. The God of Time now had a much lighter shade of colour on its body. It also possessed a half-halo that sat beside its head, which in turn had three rectangular pieces of its body attached to that halo, resembling wings.

"A second form? I suppose that's to be expected," Towa commented. "Mephiles...I'll crush you for making a fool out of me!"

And so, this new fight began. Solaris was stronger than before, indicating that more positive Chaos Energy was needed for the ones that belonged to this world. Hyper Luster, of course, didn't need any extra. He was still far stronger than Solaris, even in its second form.

Although Solaris was more powerful now, its tactics didn't really change. It kept using lasers and kept trying to impale its foes with gigantic land masses. Ultimately, the same things that Ace, Trunks, Hyper Luster, Chronoa and Towa were doing before also worked here. However, Chronoa noticed something.

"That red sphere in the middle of its body...is that a weakspot?" the transformed Supreme Kai of Time pointed out. "Towa, try aiming for that!"

"It would be my pleasure," Towa smiled. She shot another Spear Shock at Solaris' core, but it was heavily guarded with that barrier. "It seems like your theory's correct. Do you have anything that can stop it in its tracks?"

"Just who do you think you're talking to?" Power of Time Unleashed Chronoa smiled. After charging some time energy, she snapped her fingers, freezing Solaris in time. "This thing might be the God of Time, but I'm the Supreme Kai of Time. Quickly, before it fixes itself!"

Without a word, Towa fired a much stronger variant of the Spear Shock, powered by the positive energy of the Super Emeralds. It bypassed the barrier thanks to Chronoa's time stop and pierced Solaris' core. When the god unfroze time for itself, the damage had already been done. Chronoa and Towa could now see rather visible bruises around the area of impact.

"Now, Towa, go tell the others about this. That should help them immensely. I'll hold this guy here," Chronoa instructed.

"I'm not exactly a fan of orders...though in this case, I'll do just that," Towa replied.

She didn't fight back for much longer and quickly decided to use her time-warping powers to teleport to where the other three were fighting Solaris. First up was Super Saiyan 3 Ace and Super Saiyan Trunks, who were having a much tougher time dealing with the onslaught of beams and oversized rocks.

"You two are certainly having trouble," Towa commented. "Need some help?"

"We'll be fine. Where did you go, anyway? We kinda separated from each other," Trunks asked her.

"I'm fighting this thing alongside your precious Supreme Kai of Time. We've been doing well enough. Did you know that she has a transformation?" Towa answered with a small, mischievous smile of sorts.

"She does? That's pretty interesting," Ace commented, after blocking a beam from Solaris. "What were you saying about help? Did you two figure something out?"

"Yes. Well, she did. Do you see that red sphere on its body? Focus your attacks on that. It's the thing's weak spot," Towa told the two. "Enjoy. I'm going to see how that Mobian is doing. Maybe he won't even need this tip…"

Towa disappeared once again, allowing Ace and Trunks to do precisely as she suggested. They found that the God of Time was indeed taking more damage than usual - the tip was right. Both Saiyans made sure their most powerful techniques were aimed solely at the weak point.

While they were doing that, Hyper Luster was continuing to effortlessly reflect all of Solaris' attacks. At one point, he even started to punch Solaris' beams back at the deity, with no damage done to himself. He was having a pretty good time.

"Hey, kid. Stop for a moment and listen," Towa lightly ordered the Mobian around.

Hyper Luster didn't stop, per se...he simply kept reflecting and blocking attacks. But he did start listening to Towa's words as he was able to move backwards enough to be right beside the woman.

"Yeah? Somethin' important? 'Cause I'm kinda busy right now," Hyper Luster wondered as he kept backhanding away Solaris' lasers. "Busy kickin' this guy's backside! Ha ha!"

"Just listen. The Supreme Kai of Time figured out something very useful in dealing with this god. That red core on its chest is a weak point. Attack that if you want to inflict more pain on that thing," Towa informed him. "If you feel like it."

She warped back to Chronoa, leaving Hyper Luster to ponder her words.

"Nah!" he said out loud to himself.

All three groups continued to fight Solaris' second form with every ounce of their combined might. Ace and Trunks with their combo attacks, Chronoa and Towa with their time manipulative techniques and Hyper Luster with his transformation's insane strength.

Instead of aiming for the core, the Mobian blasted away at the god with a massive number of Chaos Energy-infused Ki attacks. The amount of ranged moves that Solaris was pulling off had been hugely outnumbered by the sheer massacre of energy blasts that Hyper Luster was capable of putting out there. He was practically bullying the deity.

Then came the final moment. Ace and Trunks with another, mightier Super Kamehameha and Super Buster Cannon combo, Chronoa with a time stop, Towa with the strongest Spear Shock she could possibly use and finally, Hyper Luster using a variation of his Chaos-powered Kamehameha - the Hyper Chaos Kamehameha. The strongest technique he could come up with.

All of these attacks decimated Solaris. Thanks to the power of the emeralds, the God of Time had been downed. The battle was over, much to everyone's delight.

"We did it!" Ace exclaimed, a smile of victorious delight emerging on his face.

"Yeah, we did. Finally...it's all over," Trunks nodded, powering down to his base form. "I don't sense its energy any more. Solaris is gone for good."

With Chronoa and Towa, the same feelings were shared amongst the two. "Aren't you glad, Supreme Kai of Time? We finally got our revenge on the one that destroyed our world. Shouldn't you be pleased?" the villain asked.

"Yes, I'm glad that the fight is over…" Chronoa responded with a tinge of disappointment in her voice. "I just don't know how we're going to restore our universe. I expected Solaris' defeat to be the answer we needed...however, nothing's happened. There's something that has to be done and I don't know the answer. Could you gather everyone else, then bring them down to the shrine?"

"Fine," Towa accepted.

She did as she was asked to, leaving Chronoa to descend back down on her own. This left her to her own devices. She was bothered by the lack of self-fixing opportunities that came after Solaris' defeat. It weighed down on her mind and stayed there even after she arrived at the shrine.

 _Soleannan Shrine_

Only a few seconds later did Towa successfully managed to gather everyone else at the circular platform they all started at. Trunks and Ace both returned to their base forms, while Hyper Luster and Power of Time Unleashed Chronoa remained as they were. Elder Kai had a few comments to make about this transformation, though Towa quickly shushed him. The two Saiyans were very impressed with the raw power that Chronoa now wielded, a compliment she appreciated.

"Thanks, you two. But now we need to figure out a way to restore our world to the way it was before Solaris ruined it all," Chronoa voiced her problem. She turned to the orange Echidna. "Tikal. Do these emeralds have the power to do that?"

"No. It's not within their natural capabilities to do so. However, there is a power called Chaos Control, which allows the user to warp time and space or slow everything down except themself. It can only be used when in possession of at least a single Chaos Emerald," Tikal responded.

"We have seven Super Emeralds and the Master Emerald. You think we'd be able to fix everything with these?" Chronoa brought up, motioning to the gems beside everyone.

"It's...possible. I'm not sure," Tikal then translated for the God of Destruction next to her. "Chaos is also unsure. He says that if you combine your own powers with their energy, it should work."

Elder Kai was surprised to hear this.

"Hold on just a minute! Supreme Kai of Time...are you really planning to remake the universe?!" he came to the solid conclusion, surprising everyone else (aside from Chronoa herself, Tikal and Chaos, obviously).

"Really? Are you sure that's even possible?" Trunks doubted her abilities.

Chronoa simply flashed her usual smile. "It's our best option right now. After all, these emeralds transform thoughts into power, right? If I just focus my thoughts on bringing everything back to the way it was, then it should be no big deal! Don't worry about it!"

"Everything?" Towa wondered.

"When I say something, I mean it. So yeah, everything," Chronoa replied in a positive manner. She turned back to Tikal. "All I need to do is purely centre my thoughts on restoring the universe as it was before Solaris happened. I then fumble around with the emeralds' energy and somehow activate Chaos Control in tandem with the total time control that this form gives me. Did I get that right?"

"That sounds fine to me. Go ahead, Chaos will guide you," Tikal returned with a smile of her own.

Chaos seemed to nod. Chronoa did the same in response. She closed her eyes, everyone around her falling absolutely silent. All of the emeralds, including the Master Emerald, started glowing white as Chronoa began to tap into their power with the help of Chaos himself. She activated her time energy, which started becoming electrifying somehow. It almost zapped the spectators.

Soon, Chronoa was one with the Chaos Energy. Time and Chaos met. Their capabilities merged with each other, forming a storm that the others were wrapped up in.

And then, the universe returned.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

* * *

 ** _Author Notes:_ This sure was a long one, huh?**


	10. Same World, New Memories

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

As a result of the combined evil efforts of Towa and Mephiles, Solaris, the God of Time, was reborn. Much like its last appearance that nobody remembers, it eviscerated the universe it was in and stole all the timelines away. Solaris' reach even extended to the Time Nest.

However, the barrier that surrounded the nest was enough to protect its residents from the universe's destruction. The same could not be said for Conton City. All of those Time Patrollers...all killed thanks to Solaris. Same for the timeline-creating bird Tokitoki. Luckily, Chronoa, Trunks, Ace, Elder Kai and Luster were all fine, as they were in the Time Nest by the time Solaris came around. That god had to be stopped. But there was seemingly no way to do so.

Thankfully, Towa was on hand to help. Everyone had their reservations and doubts as to Towa's willingness to help, though she'd made it perfectly clear she wanted revenge on the Mobian that betrayed her: Mephiles. She temporarily joined up with the higher ranking patrollers in order to enact her destructive payback. Her first course of action after initiating the team up was to reveal the location of the Master Emerald, which had strangely appeared beside where she showed up upon her arrival in the dark void that Solaris created. It was a peculiar, otherworldly shrine of sorts that Luster vaguely recognised.

Speaking of Luster, Towa mentioned that a red energy ball wanted to see him. This was something he remembered well enough. Tikal and Chaos, the two internal protectors of the Master Emerald, were dragged into the void after being assailed by Mephiles during the Luster versus Nazo fight. Since it would be impossible to fight Solaris without them, Chaos opened various portals that led to the Chaos Emeralds, which were flung around to various timelines Solaris locked away.

All of the emeralds were then assembled. Even still, that wasn't enough. Mephiles informed Towa of various things, Mobians and circumstances that led to the inorganic being's demise. This included elements that Luster didn't remember, such as Sonic, Shadow and Silver's fight with Solaris. Each of those hedgehogs were in their Super Forms and it still took considerable effort for them to even barely overcome the God of Time. Only Luster was available to the citizens of this universe.

Clearly, the Luster's Super Form was not going to be enough to take on Solaris. Chaos strongly refused to allow anyone else to attain such a transformation, but the God of Destruction did let them draw on the emeralds' power so they could increase their strength. Still, that nowhere near the power they needed. Something more was required. Something far more powerful than the Super Form. Something dangerous.

The Hyper Form. Luster was initially reluctant to use the form, having heard from Sonic about its destructive tendancies. With some encouragement from Ace, Luster allowed Tikal to do what was necessary to bring the transformation out. Soon, Hyper Luster was born. And the fight against Solaris began. Tikal needed to tell them all that Solaris couldn't be defeated normally. They needed to go to the past, present and future if they wanted to remove the deity for good. That's just what they did.

Ace and Trunks went to the past, Luster took the present while Chronoa and Towa dealt with Solaris in the future. Each warrior assumed their most powerful transformations (except Towa, who lacked one). Even Chronoa had one - the Power of Time Unleashed mode. It gave her the abilities needed to effectively stand against the God of Time. Meanwhile, Hyper Luster was far more than a match for their opponent. His form gave him the durability to tank through every universe-shattering attack that Solaris threw at him. Hyper Luster likely would've been fine on his own.

With one final, simultaneous onslaught of blasts and beams, Solaris was down, but the universe remained in a poor state. At his juncture, almost everyone was unsure of what to do. Almost. Chronoa had an idea, and it involved the Super Emeralds, the powered-up Chaos Emeralds that granted Luster access to the Hyper Form, as well as the Master Emerald. Their immense mystical power combined with her control over time and space…perhaps it would've been enough to fix everything. Some of her allies voiced their doubts, but Chronoa was determined. Determined to save her world.

So, she gave it a go. In a flash, the universe was amended. But was it all the same as before…?

We now come back to right after we left off!

 _12:35 PM - Age 851_

 _Time Vault_

Back within the domed essence of time, the higher ranked Time Patrollers seemed to be okay. Everyone was out of the transformations that they were in during the fight against Solaris, including Hyper Luster and Chronoa's Power of Time Unleashed form...much to Elder Kai's chagrin. Towa, Tikal, Chaos as well as the Super Emeralds/Master Emerald were no longer around, indicating that they'd been thrown back to where they were before it happened.

"Amazing…! Everything looks the same as they've ever been!" Trunks commented after looking at his familiar surroundings. He flew up to the Time Scrolls and quickly inspected them. "And the Scrolls of Eternity, too...they're okay! How incredible!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if everything in history has been put back to how it all should be," Ace added. "Great work, Supreme Kai of Time. You've done a fantastic job."

"I must say...you've certainly outdone yourself this time, Chronoa. Though this would certainly not be possible without those emeralds," Elder Kai chipped in, lessening Chronoa's now slightly bloated ego.

"Yeah, I guess not. Still wouldn't have been possible without me and my control over time! So we'll count this as a victory for me," Chronoa returned to smiling. "Hey, we kept our memories too. At least we avoided the same thing that Luster went though."

Luster nodded in agreement of the positivity.

"That reminds me, actually. Shouldn't we start sending Luster back home now? I think the Dragon Balls should be fine right around now," Trunks winked at Chronoa towards the end of his words. Chronoa was confused at first, but a sudden reaction of remembrance came out of her.

"Oh! Right, yeah, we should totally do that! I hope I put the Dragon Balls in the same place they were in before! It would be bad if they weren't…" the Supreme Kai of Time remembered her plan.

She and Trunks immediately waltzed further into the Time Vault, leaving Ace, Luster and Elder Kai to stand around. With little to no idea of what to do, they just stood there and said nothing. It was kinda awkward for a while. Though that was only until Luster recalled something.

"Hey, Elder Kai, weren't you gonna give me somethin'? You were talkin' about it back in the void...is it a present?" the cat asked the Shinjin.

"Hmm?" Elder Kai tried to think of what Luster was talking about. "Ah, I remember now! I discovered a way that could potentially unlock those hidden memories of yours...though I was a bit reluctant to go ahead with it."

"Why's that?" Ace wondered.

"It's because it's a long winded ritual. You should know this," Elder Kai explained.

"Wait...THAT ritual?!" Ace realised, to which Elder Kai nodded. The Future Warrior turned to Luster with an almost empathetic expression on his face. "I'm so sorry. You'll have to go through that if you want your memories back."

Luster was confused, but Ace's face filled him with dread. He feared for what he'd have to do.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 1 (Dragon Ball Super, Chozetsu Dynamic, English) -**

 _Let's begin the dream we lost_

 _It had started so long ago_

 _Drawing, a door in the universe_

 _We've gotta collect the stars once more, let's go_

 _This brand new stage, it shall be_

 _Where we challenge those gods and be free_

 _Intense, violent, dynamic_

 _Let's go! Go! A huge panic_

 _Takes place, we're stronger than before_

 _We don't know our place, so that means_

 _We've no limits, or regrets, we'll keep fighting!_

 _Sublime, super and dynamic!_

 _Let's go! Yes! I unleash a_

 _Barrage of kicks, as I tremble excitedly_

 _Many stories are on the way, you'll see!_

* * *

"Oh calm down! There's no need to be so dramatic," Elder Kai insisted.

Luster's fears only slightly subsided at that. He was still very worrisome of what the Shinjin and Saiyan were talking about. Whether it would be something that could challenge the essence of his very being...Luster really had no clue. Upon realising that he had absolutely no idea of what was being referred to before his very ears, the cat's fears decreased even further.

"So what's goin' on? What're you guys talkin' about?" Luster asked the pair of them.

"It's a ritual that allows me to draw out your hidden potential. Depending on the individual I use it on, the increase in power that the ritual provides could be very low, or incredibly high. You, meanwhile…" Elder Kai pointed at Luster. "Don't have much potential to begin with. However, you'll still be able to benefit from the boost in strength."

"Sounds cool! But how is this gonna fix my memories?" Luster wondered.

"I theorise that the potential-targeting nature of the technique will affect those memories of yours. My ritual should break whatever seal has been placed on them, therefore reminding you of everything you've forgotten," Elder Kai explained further.

"Yeah, but…" Ace was about to voice some kind of distaste. "It'll take over twenty four hours. That's an entire day. You'll be standing and sitting around in one spot for that entire length of time. It was really bad when I went through it."

"Actually, we may not need to wait nearly as long. The ritual itself takes five hours to complete, whereas the rest of the time is spent on powering-up the person. If Luster only wants his memories unlocked, then it should only take five hours. It will be much longer if he decides that he wants to become stronger," Elder Kai returned. "What'll it be? A shorter wait but you only get your memories back, or a much longer wait that'll make you more powerful. It's your choice."

Luster thought about this. He considered the exciting prospects being a potentially massive power boost, but was terrified about having to wait in one spot for over a day, without the luxury of movement or even eating, drinking or sleeping (he assumed). The tease of power was locked in a ferocious fight against the fear of waiting inside the battlefield of Luster's mind.

But then a better idea came to him.

"Why can't we just use the Dragon Balls? Trunks said they should be good to go now," Luster suggested. "It'll be way quicker. And I can even wish myself back to my own universe after getting my memories back. We can get three wishes, right?"

"Hmm...I suppose that's an option. Honestly, I wouldn't want to do it anyway. Dancing around someone for twenty four hours...that makes my old bones ache terribly so. We need to find some way to grant the unlock potential power to someone without having to go through that tiresome ritual. Perhaps that would be good for our Time Patrollers," Elder Kai proposed an idea of his own.

"That would've been useful about a year ago…" Ace sighed.

From there, Ace, Elder Kai and Luster patiently awaited for Chronoa and Trunks' return. The three of them stood or sat comfortably within the Time Vault, while the aforementioned pair searched the rest of the building for the seven Dragon Balls of legend.

 _12:39 PM - Age 851_

 _Elsewhere Within the Time Vault_

In the middle of a small, particular room hidden in the confines of the spacetime-centric construct, Chronoa and Trunks eventually discovered the Dragon Balls. They were neatly positioned on a pedestal that had seven holders attached to it by various thin, metallic arms. Each of the holders were clumped relatively close together so there wasn't any domino-effect danger to be had.

"Phew…" Chronoa breathed a small sigh of relief. "I'm glad that I was able to keep these things around. It'd suck if I somehow managed to get rid of them."

"Would we have even remembered them if that happened?" Trunks proposed the idea.

"I dunno. I'm not exactly an expert on dimensional repair. Not like I've ever done it before," Chronoa shrugged. "The only reason I was so confident in my ability to fix the universe was because I needed to be. There's no way anything gets done with low self-esteem."

"Hey, I wasn't doubting you. You're probably the most confident person I know. I was only suggesting something...anyway, let's just get these balls to the others so Luster can make his wish," Trunks tried to change the subject to ease the tension.

But all that did was make Chronoa feel worse. The spark in her eyes diminished slightly as she sighed, seemingly releasing an intense, weighted guilt that pressured her mind.

"About that…" she said in an apologetic tone. "...I feel bad for using Luster the way I did."

Trunks turned away from the Dragon Balls. He focused his attention on the Supreme Kai of Time. "I was hoping I'd get to talk to you at length about this. I'm not sure why you lied about our Dragon Balls. You know they're always available to be used, even if we've just used them. Luster didn't need to wait. We could've just sent him back immediately. So why? Why would you do this?"

Chronoa winced through the extra pins of guilt that poked through her skin every time Trunks told the truth. "I...I wanted help. Since we'd just made a new city for the Time Patrol, I knew there'd be a lot of work getting things set up. A lot of work that probably would've distracted me from my time-guarding duties. If I got Luster to help, which I obviously did, we would've had an extra pair of hands available for dealing with anomalies and stuff like that. His being here allowed me to be very productive with Conton City's development."

"Were you worried that Luster might not have helped?" Trunks asked.

"Yes. At the time, neither of us knew what kind of person he was. He could've been a real bad guy. So if I acted as the key for him to get what he wanted, he'd have no choice but to help. Luster wanted to go home and we had the means to get him there. We were in the perfect position to get him to help," Chronoa nodded. "In hindsight, I probably didn't need to pull him along like that. He likely would've helped either way. He's just that kind of guy."

"Yeah...I didn't really get much of a chance to speak with him, but from what I heard from Ace, he said that Luster's incredibly energetic and he's always raring to help with whatever. He isn't a bad guy at all."

Chronoa smiled, now free of guilt. She grabbed three Dragon Balls without saying a word. Trunks quickly obtained the remaining four.

"It's about time. Let's get him back home," Trunks insisted.

"Yeah," Chronoa replied with a smile.

Now they were ready. The Supreme Kai of Time and the time-travelling Super Saiyan carried the Dragon Balls from the room they were in all the way to the central domed room of the Time Vault, where Ace, Elder Kai and especially Luster were keen to get things started.

 _12:45 PM - Age 851_

 _Time Nest_

All the higher ranking members of the Time Patrol assembled themselves and the Dragon Balls outside of the Time Vault, preferring the openness of the Time Nest when summoning the Eternal Dragon himself. Elder Kai was about to condescendingly explain the process to Luster before Ace reminded the old Shinjin that the Mobian didn't need the explanation - he already knew about it.

Chronoa carefully lumped the seven mystical starry-spheres on the ground, together, preparing them for what was about to happen.

"Rise, Shenron!" she called out.

Just then, a beam of orange light shot out from the collection of spheres. The thin beam of light eventually formed the vague outline of a snake-like dragon, which then in turn became a familiar green beast that wielded unique power. This was Shenron: the Eternal Dragon.

"What is your wish?" the being's deep voice boomed across the area. Chronoa stepped back and motioned forward, prompting Luster to take command.

"Well, Shenron, I'd like to have all my memories restored. I want to know everythin' that happened with Mephiles, Iblis and Solaris back in my universe," was the cat's wish.

"That is easily done," Shenron simply answered.

With a flash of a strongly opaque yet obviously blue light, Luster's mind became clear. Everything that had been clouding it before all went away. He smiled. The cat turned around to his Time Patrol friends, who were both happy and slightly confused to see him smile.

"It worked. I remember it all. It's...a pretty huge story. And I think I now know things that I never knew before," Luster explained to them, ridding their minds of any confusion.

"That's great! Now let's hope you aren't the only one who remembers," Ace responded.

"Yeah…" the Mobian was filled with a faint sense of dread upon hearing that. He sincerely hoped that wouldn't be the case.

"What is your second wish?" Shenron continued.

Luster sighed. This was it. The big one. What he'd been waiting for all this time.

"I wish I was back in my own universe," Luster eventually replied.

Shenron didn't say anything in response this time. This gave Luster enough of an opportunity to do what he sincerely wanted to say. He turned back to his newfound friends and gave them another smile. This time, it was a smile of pure joy, instead of the content smile from before. Everyone else returned the favour. Though Elder Kai's was smaller and less obvious than most.

"See ya," Luster could only say before he was whisked away.

Gone was the Mobian presence within the Time Patrol. Chronoa, Elder Kai, Trunks and Ace were on their own. They quickly sent Shenron back into the Dragon Balls, which all remained where they were due to their unique properties.

Silently, Chronoa walked over, picked up the three starred ball and stared at it.

"We'll see you later, Luster," Chronoa answered.

"Yeah, we will. This definitely won't be the last time we'll meet. And I'm not talking about those scrolls he's in," Ace agreed. "I'm also not talking about that cliche 'I'll always be in your heart' thing. I just know that we'll meet again someday." He picked up another Dragon Ball as Trunks approached.

"Definitely. You're never truly apart from a good friend," Trunks added in. "Actually, I'd be hard pressed to call him a good friend. It still feels weird to have someone like that leave so soon. It almost felt like our lives revolved around him for the past two weeks." He also grabbed a Dragon Ball from the collection on the ground.

"I'd say it's a good thing he's gone! Now we can finally focus on revamping all these systems and whatnot for the city," Elder Kai chimed in. "I will say that I was nervous for the duration of his stay. To me, it felt as if there was always some presence watching over us while that Mobian was here. Perhaps that'll finally go away…"

Chronoa smiled again. "Well, whatever's the case, we gotta focus on the here and now. Elder Kai's right, we've gotta get back to working on Conton City. We've got to get it ready for any future critical missions that come our way."

"No doubt that Towa'll come back," Ace guessed. "But that just means we'll have to fight back!"

"Right!" Chronoa nodded. "Until that day comes, if it ever does, we'll be working. Working to make this whole place better for us and the Time Patrollers. For now...let's put these balls away."

Chronoa, Trunks and Ace grabbed the remainder of the Dragon Balls and began to walk back into the Time Vault. Elder Kai oversaw their progress. They placed the orbs of power onto that seven-pronged pedestal and ensured their safety through the use of time-enhanced locks. That marked the end of their two week distraction. Now they could get back to what they were doing. They could return to their day-by-day duties.

As a result of their actions, the Time Patrol prospered. New members joined frequently, increasing the amount of training sessions and examinations that needed to be done before the newbies could join for real. All of the planned systems for Conton City were eventually added. And in time, a new critical mission occurred, requiring the creation of a new Future Warrior.

In the meantime, Luster returned to his homeworld. He'd never forget the impact his new friends left on him. Trunks...Chronoa...Elder Kai...Ace. Luster always remembered them. But as for his future, there were all sorts of conflicts waiting for him and his Mobian pals. Together, they'd take them all on, no matter what was in store.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 1 (One Punch Man, Hoshi Yori Saki Ni Mitsukete Ageru, English) -**

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

 _At nights, my sighs make the crescent moon sway_

 _I close my eyes and think about you all the day_

 _I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, to see you once again_

 _Through these worlds, I hope these thoughts reach you_

 _After all, I have always known_

 _The many ways in which, you try so hard!_

 _The person I believe in is so strong, he can get back_

 _You only need to show, your weakness to me_

 _We'll find you before the stars do_

 _So please, come straight home_

 _Hey, won't you, come back home soon?_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ **Sorry this one took a while to come out! University became kinda hectic for a moment, what with all the deadlines that were coming up. There's still some more of that ahead, but that'll be fine. I've got 'em under control.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you all next time.**


	11. Home Visit

_Last time, on Luster the Cat.._

Conton City and the rest of the universe had been restored, thanks to the power of the Super Emeralds, Master Emerald and the Supreme Kai of Time. From the brink of death at the hands of the Mobian God of Time...to complete restoration. Chronoa, Trunks, Ace, Elder Kai and Luster were overjoyed to hear that everything was exactly the way as it was. No sign of Solaris, Mephiles or Iblis as well. All trouble was dispelled.

Then it was around time for Luster to return to his dimension, under the false pretense of the Dragon Balls only just then being ready for use. A pretense crafted by Chronoa - she merely wanted Luster's assistance. Although, she did feel bad for tricking the cat, but it seemed she had other regrets (particularly regarding that lavender-haired Saiyan that stood beside her).

When it came time to make the wishes, Luster's first call was to have his memories unlocked. Elder Kai offered to use his Ability Unlock ritual to do that instead, though Luster really didn't like the idea of having to wait for multiple hours on end. He simply couldn't do that.

And of course, his second wish was to return home. With a heartfelt goodbye, Luster vanished from the realm of Conton City, wiping out all traces of Mobian presence in the time centric settlement. The lives of the many underneath the Time Patrol's protection remained as normal. Life moved on.

We now come back to right after we left off!

 _October 10th 1991 - 1:30 PM_

 _Station Square, Alleyway_

Nary a thud or a thump. Luster landed firmly on his two feet, though he stumbled slightly. His face never met with the ground, much to his satisfaction. The cat scanned his environment, finding himself to be in a familiarly dirty locale. A quick scan of the entire world with his Ki sensory abilities confirmed his hopes - he was back home.

" _I made it...sure hope everyone at the Time Patrol's gonna be okay,_ " Luster hoped internally. " _Good thing I still got those abilities Ace helped me get. They're gonna come in handy later_."

Interrupting his thoughts, two wealthy gentlemen emerged from a side passage. The cat almost raised his dukes and prepared for a fight. A quick scan of their power levels reminded him of how weak the average person was. These two would certainly do no harm to him.

Especially since they were people he knew. Somewhat.

"Oh my, it appears to be our young friend, Luster," one of the men spoke with a wealthy British accent. "It has been a very long time since we have last met."

"Indeed!" the other man nodded in agreement. "What are the chances that a nostalgic visit to our previous home would yield such a sudden occurrence? How peculiar!"

Luster stared at the pair with eyes of utter confusion. He even let out a bewildered, yet faint 'eh?'.

"Excuse me, my dear Mobian. You likely wouldn't recognise us as we are now," the first man smiled, as if to help Luster relax. "We are George and Jeff. From the streets. Erm, rather, I'm Jacque and this fine fellow is Geoff."

"Greetings!" the man known as Geoff raised a hand to match his choice of word.

"Wait, you're THOSE guys? Didn't ya live here in this dump? What happened?" Luster doubtfully responded, his confusion lessening slightly.

Geoff smiled.

"Happy you asked. For you see, in the eleven months that it has been since our last meeting, we were met with an opportunity. An opportunity to move past our prior inhibitions. Of course, we took it. Now here we are...a mountain load of cash and very little ideas of what to do with it," he explained.

"You guys got rich? That's pretty cool. How'd that happen?" Luster wondered, his confusion completely erased. " _Wait, eleven months? Has it really been almost a year since I got back from Goku's world the first time?_ "

"As my friend said, we were given an opportunity by the mistress of fate. And now our life has turned around entirely. The winds of change blew in our direction," Jacque answered. "We have changed our names to reflect this new chapter in our lives. Casting away our old selves and embracing the new...a beautiful feeling. Wouldn't you agree?"

Luster thought long and hard about this question. Which meant that he came to answer pretty quickly.

"Yeah, I totally agree. Becomin' stronger and better's always a good thing," the cat nodded. "It's awesome to see you guys doin' so well. Anyway, I gotta go. Just got back from another universe again. Maybe I'll see ya later." He raised two fingers to his forehead, readying himself for a round of Instant Transmission.

"Let us hope that is the case," Jacque shared Luster's wishes. This speak of other universes washed over him and his partner. "Goodbye."

With a shared wave, the two men observed as the young Mobian disappeared from the alleyway. Making use of their smoke-creating devices, the gentlemen who were once known as George and Jeff returned to their home. Just as Luster was doing.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 2 (Martian Successor Nadesico, You Get to Burning, English) -**

 _Enduring embarrassment, you went ahead and kicked a stone_

 _But bouncing back, it might become a diamond_

 _Dreams you get right away aren't even dreams, I hope you know_

 _Still I believe you'll get them soon, so just go_

 _Don't you give in, I believe in you_

 _If you ever, wanna cry_

 _I'll be there and I'll realise that is my cue_

 _You get to burning_

 _Stand proudly, since it is just who you are_

 _Those days when you're alright are pieces of your dream, flown far_

 _You get to burning_

 _Gotta pick up, those lost pieces_

 _And as you do that, I see that, you are…_

 _Going your days, grow up!_

* * *

Warping from the mucky and disgusting alleyway, Luster reappeared within the ever comforting living room of the Thorndyke Mansion. The rectangular shape of the room, the dark wooden arch leading into the room that held the dinner table and that magnificently relaxing lime green sofa.

Speaking of the sofa, sitting upon it was the person in which Luster teleported to with his Instant Transmission technique. That person was reading a book and hadn't noticed the Mobian's presence, as his teleportation was almost silent. It was up to the cat to start the reunion.

"Hey," he simply said.

Christopher Thorndyke looked up from the book he was mildly engrossed in. His half-bored eyes quickly changed to that of surprise. The rest of his body soon followed suit with an appropriate reaction.

"Luster! You're back!" Chris exclaimed, an electric surge of excitement coursing through his very being. "Where'd you go? You kinda disappeared right before the Festival of the Sun."

"About that...it's a long story," Luster scratched the back of his head. He was unsure where to start, but soon decided on an approach. "Do you know anyone called Mephiles? Or Iblis?"

"Uh...no. Why'd you ask?" Chris raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"So you don't remember...if you don't remember what happened in Soleanna, I don't think anyone's gonna remember, 'cept myself," Luster mumbled aloud.

"Luster. What? Did something big happen that we all missed?" Chris continued to probe. "No, wait, if it's important, then everyone should hear. Is it?"

"It's pretty important."

Chris put a bookmark to save his reading point, then he carefully closed the book and put it down on the table in front of the sofa. He stood up, an unnecessarily determined expression now on his face.

"I'll go get everyone that's here. Sonic should be running somewhere in the world, as he always is. You can get him."

Luster nodded. It didn't take long for him to find the overbearing presence of Sonic's Ki, though being very familiar with the hedgehog did have a hand in the ease of the process. Just as he was about to teleport away, Chris paused in place while he was exiting the room and turned his head towards the cyan-furred cat.

"Did you get stronger?" the fourteen year old boy asked.

"Yep," Luster sharply replied with a smile.

Before any further questions or queries could be pondered, Luster disappeared, outta sight but not outta mind. Especially not Chris' mind, which was solely fixated on whatever happened to the cat. He mentioned something important that supposedly happened in Soleanna...though nothing 'important' happened there. Aside from the Festival of the Sun and Luster's disappearance. But that's hardly worth gathering everybody for.

So what was the issue at hand…? Chris kept thinking about it as he introduced the situation to the other Thorndyke Mansion residents. Everyone else was just as confused as he was. Nobody remembered anything about a huge Soleannan incident, aside from Luster's disappearance obviously. A hive mind of confusion was soon formed outside the front door and beside the small pond in front of the mansion.

Luster soon returned, Sonic the Hedgehog in tow. The blue hero was immensely addled by the situation, just as everyone else was. He joined the small group of Thorndyke Mansion residents as they all stared at Luster. They all desperately wanted answers.

Tails, Chris, Chuck, Mr. Tanaka, Ella, Cream, Cheese, Vanilla and Sonic. Luster had to answer to all of these folks. His friends. Not even an hour past his homecoming and he was already nervous.

"Hey, buddy. Relax. We ain't tryin'a grill ya here or somethin'. Take your time," Sonic told his friend in a reassuring tone.

The Mobian cat nodded, then breathed in and out. He relaxed his mind. Soon he was able to explain the situation.

"Well...you all remember when we went to Soleanna, right? Me and that Bakuda guy won that tournament, so we were asked to be guards for Elise during the festival," Luster began. Everyone nodded. "Bakuda left, so I had to do it on my own. I met with Elise and slept in the castle. Next day, I did that festival."

"No you didn't. You were gone, so Shadow had to take your place. It was pretty funny actually," Chuck smirked a little upon reminding himself of that.

"Huh? No, I was...oh wait, that's what it changed to…" Luster realised. "Well, Shadow mighta been there, but honestly, I was there. Then Eggman attacked and stole Elise. I tried to stop him but Metal Luster got in the way. I couldn't do anythin' to save her...Metal Luster knocked me out cold."

"What are you talking about?" Ella asked.

"I think he's getting there," Vanilla quelled everyone's temporary addlement. "Please continue."

Luster nodded in confirmation. "Sonic took me back to our hotel. The day after that, Sonic and I went out to try save Elise. We kept goin' after her, but Eggman always managed to get her away from us by attacking us with a bunch of huge mechs. I got to save her while she was on Eggman's new Egg Carrier thanks to Sonic openin' up a hole past a barrier the ship had. That's the adventure I went through…"

"You mean there's more?" Amy questioned, moreso in disbelief.

The cat nodded once again. He thought for a moment, as if he was gathering up more of his memories. However, these weren't necessarily his memories...the knowledge he started to pull upon was granted to him by an outside source. The Dragon Balls.

"Shadow went through a whole lotta stuff. His appearance was copied by this dark Mobian guy called Mephiles, who was a huge jerk. This guy sent Shadow and Rouge to the future, he attacked Shadow after Rouge went into a portal that was supposed to send 'em back to the past, but then me, Sonic and Omega helped Shadow out."

Luster paused again.

"Mephiles was doin' a lot of stuff behind the scenes...pretty much everythin' he did was so he could get the Chaos Emeralds in a good spot for him to take. He used illusions to trick Shadow into givin' him his emeralds, then stole the ones we had while we were sleeping. After that, he killed Elise, which caused this huge flame beast to appear and start destroyin' the world. But then Mephiles fused with Iblis - that's the name of the flame guy - to create Solaris, who's actually the God of Time. That dude used his powers to destroy the whole universe. It took Super Sonic, Super Shadow and the Super Form of this other guy called Silver, to beat him."

Again.

"This is when things get kinda tricky. Ya see, since Solaris is the God of Time, he could exist everywhere. Or, uh, every _when_. If you beat him in one time, he'd still be there, but in another time. Sonic, Shadow and Silver couldn't really stop him for good...unless they went back in time to the point when Solaris was just a little candle thing."

"What do you mean by that?" Chuck asked, curious.

"Uh, well, y'know how all the gods once existed long ago, right? I think Tikal explained that to us at some point or somethin'. Anyway, they all left behind some kinda trace of their DNA. Solaris left behind a candle. That candle was then taken by the scientists of Soleanna. They tried to bring Solaris back, but they just made two other things instead."

Yet another pause. Everyone remained patient.

"One was Mephiles, who had the brains and the time-space powers that the god had. The other was Iblis, who had that god's raw power. Because these two halves were so dangerous, they had to be sealed away. Mephiles was sealed inside the Sceptre of Darkness, which Rouge later picked up and dropped near Shadow, which is how Mephiles got Shadow's appearance. Iblis was sealed inside Elise, since they hadn't made somethin' like the Sceptre of Darkness for it. The only way to unseal it would be to kill Elise. Mephiles did that so Iblis got out."

"So how does this relate to Sonic, Shadow and that other person blowing the candle form of Solaris?" Chuck brought things back to his earlier question.

"Well, uh, since they changed the past by killing Solaris before the scientists could do anything, our present was changed. That's why you guys saw Shadow on those gondolas instead of me. I disappeared because during the fight against Solaris, it put up a barrier that nobody could get around or destroy. Shadow tried using Chaos Control to get past it, but it just spat him back out. What I did is I put up a Ki barrier to prevent myself from bein' thrown out, then I used Instant Transmission to warp into Solaris' barrier. When I got there, I was able to attack Solaris - that brought his barrier down."

Pause.

"But, I think Solaris didn't like me doing that so he trapped me in some kinda dark portal thingy. I was sent to this really black void dimension kinda thing and I was tryin' to find my way out, but since Sonic, Shadow and Silver killed Solaris early, that kinda had some weird effects on the time-space continuum or whatever it's called. It caused me to be spent to Goku's universe...except not really? I showed up in this place called Conton City, where this group called the Time Patrol live. It's in the same universe as Goku's world but in a different timeline, if that makes sense. While that happened, the present in this universe was changed and your memories were too, which is why Shadow happened instead of me."

"Okay...I think I understand," Tails replied, trying to process all that information. "Our timeline was changed thanks to Sonic, Shadow and that other Mobian, but what they did also caused you to be sent to this other place. Were you okay there?"

"Yeah! I was good. Conton City was a really cool place. They had all these cool systems where you could buy clothes, techniques and items. I met the leaders of the Time Patrol. There was the Supreme Kai of Time, the ultimate leader of it all. Then there was Trunks, who was a different Trunks from the one I told you guys about. Elder Kai...he was pretty strange. Ace was pretty cool. He was a Saiyan, just like Goku. Ace trained me. That's why I'm a lot stronger now than I was before."

"Did you learn any cool new moves like last time?" Chris wondered.

"Heck yeah I did! Ace told me to do a lot of Parallel Quests, which are small fragments of time that the Time Patrol controls in order to have them be a thing that Time Patrollers can do to increase their strength and sometimes get rare items from beatin' them. Kinda like a video game," Luster smiled. "The Time Patrol mainly looks over time to make sure nothing changes and everything happens as it should. If any bad guys showed up to mess with history, the Time Patrol would have to fix it. That happened a few times while I was there, but that's only because Mephiles teamed up with this bad woman called Towa, who was someone that the Time Patrollers fought against 'bout a year ago."

Pause number one million.

"Mephiles wanted to use Towa's ability to go to different timelines and messed with her so that he could steal Iblis and the Chaos Emeralds right underneath her nose. I think Iblis and Mephiles were sent to that universe the same way I did - the candle. The Chaos Emeralds were there because they were stolen from the time period where I fought Nazo during my first time in Goku's world. Since Mephiles had the emeralds and Iblis, Solaris returned. He destroyed the universe but thanks to the special properties of the place we were in when it happened, we were saved. We then had to team up with Towa to help stop Solaris…"

Another pause happened, but it was longer than most. Concern was created.

"Luster, are you okay?" Cream wondered, Cheese also chiming in.

"I'm okay. But, Sonic…I need to tell ya somethin'," Luster turned to face the blue hedgehog. "Remember the Hyper Form thing you told us about?"

"Yeah…?" Sonic pondered what might've happened.

Luster breathed in and out again, calming his tempered nerves. "Well, the Master Emerald was also there, since it was taken from that same period where Mephiles and Towa got the Chaos Emeralds from. We managed to get those back 'cause Solaris put them in different timelines that Chaos helped us get to. Anyway, since none of us could stand a chance against Solaris and not even my Super Form could help, I...I had to use the Hyper Form."

"Oh. Things got that bad, huh? I don't blame ya for havin' to use it then. Just as long as ya didn't do anythin' terrible with it," Sonic responded with a calm tone of voice. "That transformation was so dang powerful. I felt like I could do anythin' when I first got into it back on our Angel Island adventure. Eggman stood no chance. Knuckles was right - I needed to be super careful."

"Because you almost erased the universe, correct, Sonic? I remember the story," Mr. Tanaka guessed.

"Yep. Really took a lotta self control to not blow somethin' else up aside from Eggman's mech. I never wanted to use that form ever again after that," Sonic tensed for a moment, but quickly regained his usual demeanour. "How did ya do?"

"Well, we beat Solaris. We beat him before he could bring up that barrier. The Super Emeralds were helpin' power my friends and Towa, so they could at least damage him," Luster returned to explaining. "You're right, Sonic. The Hyper Form is so strong, but it really makes you wanna do bad things. I totally think that form shouldn't be used ever again unless we need it badly."

"Can't agree with ya any harder, pal," Sonic nodded.

Luster's nerves subsided. He shared a smile with the blue blur, an exchange that re-energised the cat. His long winded explanations were over.

"So let me get this straight...some big stuff happened in Soleanna, the universe got erased by the time god, Sonic, Shadow and that other guy kinda beat the time god, then they killed the god before the scientists made the two halves of that god. That sent you to the other universe again and changed the present back here. That's why Shadow took your place in the festival and we can't remember any of the big stuff that happened," Tails summarised. "Did I get that right?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Luster accepted Tails' abridged retelling of his story. "But now I'm back and eveything's the way it was before. With the other universe and this one, too. I'm a lot stronger than before, I know more techniques and Shadow rode on a gondola with a princess. I wish I saw that."

"It was hilarious," Chris smiled upon remembering that odd sight. "He did not look like he wanted to be there. Sonic asked him about it afterwards. Rouge said that Shadow was in a bad mood for the rest of the day."

Luster broke into a small laughter. The others shared this emotion and also began laughing. As a result of multiple people laughing in the same place, the amount of laughter exponentially increased. Soon, a loud howl of laughter was formed. Those that drove by the mansion could barely hear the positive emotions shared amongst the group, only serving to confuse innocent drivers.

After a short while, the laughter died down. Sonic approached Luster.

"So, 'bout those new techniques of yours…" the hedgehog began to suggest. "How 'bout we have a lil' tussle to show 'em off?"

"Sure! I really wanna show you guys what I can do now," Luster happily accepted. "My fighting style's a lot more focused. Oh, and there's these two techniques I haven't gotten much of a chance to use yet. I wanna start usin' them more."

"Alright," Sonic grinned. He stepped away some metres. "Ready?"

"I'm ready!"

The residents of the Thorndyke Mansion were the spectators of a friendly bout between the hedgehog and cat. Those spectators moved away before any of them could get hurt. Luckily, the surroundings weren't affected during the battle. Both warriors were smart enough to direct their attacks away from anything expensive, important, or both. Mainly Luster had to worry about this, since his moves were more environmentally destructive.

But that didn't matter too much to the two fighters. What mattered most to them at that moment was the fact that they were having fun. Finally, Luster was back. Times like these could be had once again. Sonic and Luster neglected to savour this moment.

They knew they could do it again whenever they wanted.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 2 (Sword Art Online II, Startear, English) -**

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _If I had the chance to make a wish_

 _I wouldn't make sadness last so long_

 _I've turned away at every time, looking at my past I leave a tear_

 _Since then I've hid all of the scars_

 _That I've got, yet I will, remain here_

 _I'll easily bear everything that comes right out, of those concealed memories_

 _What is this thing that they call love?_

 _Is it something I'm far above?_

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _Stronger than I've ever been before_

 _To overcome the darkness on my own, to leave it all, no more_

 _And if I were to sink, I'd just climb up, out of the hole I dug myself into_

 _Away from those depths, that I wouldn't be able to escape from_

 _I'll never be unable to call any of you because_

 _The silver lining's with me too_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ **So we're officially done with the Dragon Ball Xenoverse stuff. It was a fun arc to do, but I'm super stoked to be getting on to what I have planned. Season 3's gonna have a whole bunch of game adaptions. One might be happening very soon...I just hope I don't rush it out.**

 ***wink***


	12. Enter Blaze, the Sol Searcher

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Returning from the time based sanctity known as Conton City, Luster found himself inside a very unappealing alleyway. However, looking past all the smells of discarded trash and whatnot, Luster realised that the alleyway was actually very familiar to him. The appearance of two men who were totally incongruous to this setting made things all the more strange, yet also more familiar at the same time.

As it turned out, the pair of men were actually George and Jeff, the prior homeless residents of the dingy alleyway. Fate had been kind to them. Whatever it was, an opportunity arose to them that allowed them both to shoot up through the class system and become immensely rich. To reflect this new change in theirselves, the men changed their names to Jacque and Geoff respectively. Luster was impressed to hear about their massively positive change. He agreed with their change-loving ideals.

But, it was time for Luster to leave. He needed to get back to his friends. A single usage of Instant Transmission later, and Luster was back within the warm embrace of the Thorndyke Mansion. He teleported in front of Chris, who was reading a book while fighting the urge to do otherwise. Chris was happy to see that Luster had returned. Questions were abound. Luster's answers were very important, important enough that everyone in the mansion needed to know.

So the duo of young'uns gathered together their friends. Sonic had to be retrieved from one of his daily running sessions across the combined world. Fighting nerves, Luster explained the whole situation behind his disappearance from the Festival of the Sun back in Soleanna. He told everyone about the events revolving around Mephiles, Iblis and Solaris that were erased from the present and what happened to him in Conton City. It was a lot of information, but everyone seemed to understand the gist of it all.

What was most important to them was the fact that Luster was back. Their friend was with them once again, just as they'd hoped. Sonic and Luster shared a quick spar together in celebration of this fact.

We now come back to several days after we left off!

 _October 15th 1991 - 2:15 PM_

 _Beside the Thorndyke Mansion_

Another quiet day at the Thorndyke Mansion. Five days had passed since Luster's return to this dimension and each one of those days was as quiet as could be. Cream and Cheese were continually watching new episodes of The Next Show with Vanilla, Amy and Ella made meals for everyone (Vanilla usually pitched in), Tails and Chuck worked on stuff in the lab, Luster trained his fighting skills outside, Chris was doing the learning thing at school, Mr. Tanaka looked after the house and Sonic ran around a lot.

Standard stuff, really. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Sometimes Chris trained with Luster instead of playing video games, doing homework or watching TV. That's about the only part of everybody's daily routines that changed sporadically across the five days.

One day (today, the one listed up there), Luster was finishing up a round of training he'd been doing with a Power Ring-infused punching bag that Tails made for him. It was specifically tailored to Luster's abilities, meaning his Ki attacks wouldn't damage the punching bag, ignoring his best attempts to do so. Since it drew upon energy from the countless Power Rings that Tails had been developing, none of Luster's physical attacks did anything either. Perfect for the cat.

But yeah, on that day (again, today in the realms of this tale), Luster was ending the day's training session. He sat down on the massive grassy field that rested just beside the mansion and started breathing heavily. The poor cat was all tuckered out.

" _Man, I used a lot of my energy there...Tails' punching bag really is durable, like he said_ ," Luster made the same realisation he'd been making for the past few days. " _I think I'm done now. Gotta go get somethin' to drink, then I'll put this bag here back in the lab. Wonder what I'll have…_ "

Luster put two fingers together and raised them to the top of his head, initiating the Instant Transmission technique. As the scanned the environment for the best Ki signature within the house to warp to, a sharp jolt of pain shot through him, as if he'd been stabbed with an efficient knife. But he didn't know the cause.

" _The heck was that?_ " Luster wondered internally. " _Feels like something's different...something with the world. Hope it doesn't mean anythin' bad, I haven't had a drink yet._ "

With that, the cat warped away, his mind somewhat distracted by that random pain. Obviously it wasn't enough to distract the technique since it required total concentration to use, but the idea was still there. Luster was still thinking about that pain before and after the teleportation.

Speaking of the teleportation, Luster reappeared in the kitchen next to Amy. Temporarily discarding his thoughts and theories as to what that pain was for the sake of the greater good, Luster began to aim for the thing he really desired.

A drink.

"Hey, Luster. Just got back from some training?" Amy asked the cat as she messed around with some slices of bread.

"Yeah," Luster replied. He walked over to a certain cupboard and opened it, revealing a gigantic bundle of products, most of which he didn't know the purpose of. "Uh…"

"What's up? Did you want something?" Amy paused what she was doing for the sake of her friend.

"I kinda want a drink. But I don't know which one is the tea stuff," Luster responded, his eyes scanning over the various products.

"Oh, you want some tea. Let me make it for you."

Amy motioned for Luster to move out of the way slightly so that she could reach into the cupboard herself. She pulled out a small, brown cardboard box which was already opened, showing a large presence of tea bags. The pink hedgehog grabbed a random mug from a different cupboard and placed the bag inside (of the mug). Before long, the kettle was on and the tea making process was well underway.

"Huh. Thanks, Amy!" Luster thanked his friend with a smile. "I kinda wanted to do all that myself, but it's cool you're doin' it for me."

"Not a problem! That's what friends are for, anyway," Amy returned the smile with one of her own.

"Yeah...having friends is pretty cool."

Luster still wasn't entirely used to the fact that he was back home, despite being back for almost a week now. The two weeks he spent in Conton City was just enough to change his internal clock, so he'd been spending most of his time in the mansion simply readjusting to the familiar surroundings. It was certainly a strange process for him. But it was made much easier thanks to the supportive nature of his friends.

He didn't know what he'd do without them.

By this point, the kettle was done. Amy carefully crafted the rest of the caffeine-filled hot drink to a near-perfect state. Luster was handed the mug, allowing him to taste a finely made tea. Ella had been teaching the pink hedgehog well.

"Almost forgot tea's hot...nearly burnt my tongue," Luster admitted to his friend.

"Yeah, you've gotta watch out for that. Dealing with heat in any capacity is usually pretty dangerous. At least tea won't burn your head off," Amy joked around, returning to her bread. "Is it good?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, the tea's good. Really good. Thanks again, Amy," Luster savoured the remainder of his sips.

Amy appreciated Luster's thanks. She made her bread-related snack and went into the living room, where she enjoyed an episode of a television program while basking in the glory of food. Luster, meanwhile, continued drinking his glorious tea. When he gulped down that last drop, he let out a satisfied meow of pleasure. He put the tea on the table next to the sink and prepared himself to return the punching bag to the lab.

But then that pain returned. At this stage, it wasn't much of a pain...rather, it was like a strong realisation of sorts. Luster stared out of the window that overlooked the sink. He sensed something was different with the world. The sky...it seemed different. And there were these seven energies scattered everywhere across Earth and Mobius that all felt like the Chaos Emeralds...except they weren't. Luster couldn't explain it.

The only way to find a solid explanation would be to investigate. Luster did just that.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 2 (Martian Successor Nadesico, You Get to Burning, English) -**

 _Enduring embarrassment, you went ahead and kicked a stone_

 _But bouncing back, it might become a diamond_

 _Dreams you get right away aren't even dreams, I hope you know_

 _Still I believe you'll get them soon, so just go_

 _Don't you give in, I believe in you_

 _If you ever, wanna cry_

 _I'll be there and I'll realise that is my cue_

 _You get to burning_

 _Stand proudly, since it is just who you are_

 _Those days when you're alright are pieces of your dream, flown far_

 _You get to burning_

 _Gotta pick up, those lost pieces_

 _And as you do that, I see that, you are…_

 _Going your days, grow up!_

* * *

Upon the realisation that something was gravely amiss, Luster knew he needed to figure out just what was going on. Those Chaos Emerald-like energies...they were far too strange to leave alone. There was also this other powerful energy that was moving. Two of those Chaos Energy-esque signatures were right beside that powerful moving energy. It wasn't Sonic…

But it was a lot like him.

Luster used his Instant Transmission to teleport straight to the more prevalent power sources that felt similar to the emeralds. He appeared in some desert region located somewhere in Mobius. Pyramids and sand as far as the eye could see. Though Luster was more focused on the thing he warped next to. The thing he was looking for.

"Whoa!" Luster said aloud as he reached down to grab the shiny object partially obscured by sand.

Such a strange stone. What Luster was now holding was a rectangular yellow gem with rounded edges and a shining brilliance that matched that of the Chaos Emeralds. No doubt about it - this was indeed one of those seven energies. Its power was immense. If it were a fighter, it could've easily done away with everyone else in the world at once. Just like the Chaos Emeralds. In fact, Luster was sure that this thing was just as strong as any one of the emeralds, aside from the Master or Super Emeralds.

He didn't have much time to ponder any of this. A stream of intense fire came shooting in from closeby, prompting Luster to jerk his head back to evade the attack. He wheeled himself around and happened upon the figure of the attack's perpetrator.

"Give me that Sol Emerald," the stranger demanded, one of their hands stretched out - likely the one used to fire the earlier attack.

This Mobian was the one that Luster sensed earlier. The one with the power similar to Sonic's. He had to tread carefully from here on out. Her voice was feminine, which matched her lavender fur. She possessed some kind of bead or button on her head and her quills seemed to have been tied up by a red ribbon of some kind. The purple, regal-looking clothes she wore radiated a sense of importance. Clearly, this Mobian wasn't to be messed with.

"Huh? Sol Emerald? Is that what this thing is?" Luster wondered, motioning to the yellow gem in his clenched hand. "Y'know, this looks a lot like a Chaos Emerald. Feels like one too. And it's about as powerful as one as well...why should I give it to you? Who are you, anyway?"

"I am Blaze the Cat," Blaze introduced herself. "And I need that Sol Emerald you're carrying. Give it to me right now."

"Wait, you're a cat?! I am, too! Awesome, cool to see another cat 'round here," Luster grinned in a slight uncontrollable bout of happiness. He then sighed. "I dunno, though. You seem like a bad guy. Er, girl. If you are bad in any way, I can't let ya have this." He put the Sol Emerald inside his Hammerspace.

"I see," Blaze frowned. Flames appeared in the palms of her hands. "I need the Sol Emeralds to save my world. I can't let anyone get in the way of my goal!"

" _Sounds like the sorta thing Eggman would say...she can't be good!_ " Luster reaffirmed his thought process. He copied Blaze's movements by forming two Ki spheres in his palms. "Sorry, but I'm gonna beat you down!"

"Try me!"

Blaze shooted the flames in her hands, which both turned into fiery beams. Luster evaded them and slammed his Ki spheres in his opponent's direction. A pair of burning shots cancelled out Luster's light attack. The cat then activated his Death Beam technique to try and surprise Blaze, but her reactions were quick, allowing her to dodge the strike and try a fast moving flame stream of her own. Luster moved out of the way with Afterimage. He used his temporarily increased speed to move behind Blaze and hit her with a stabbing kick, followed by an usage of Endless Shoot, blasting those quick pink energy beams at the strange cat.

She took the attacks and landed on the ground with her two feet, damaged by Luster's attacks but not badly so. Before she could get a chance to breathe, Luster came in again and began unleashing a barrage of punches as well as kicks to keep the fellow feline busy. Overwhelmed, Blaze activated a quick outwards blast of fire, forcing Luster away. This opened a hole in his offense, allowing Blaze to turn the tables. She sent a few streams of flames his way though he easily evaded by simply leaping to the side.

" _She's really strong...those fire powers are annoying_ ," the cat went into his thoughts as he evaded those fiery streams.

When he landed back on the ground after a second, an idea was had. With a yell of 'Kaioken', he charged ahead with an Aerial Spin Dash. The doubled speed and power behind the technique caught Blaze off guard, thusly she was hit with the full might of the move. Luster followed this up with a barrage of Ki blasts from the air, which was in turn followed up with a regular beam.

Not letting up his offense - as per his new fighting style - Luster zoomed down and stuck Blaze with a downwards kick. However, she was able to roll away using a jet-like burst of flames. She now had an opportunity to attack. She made every use of it. Luster's earlier use of Kaioken had died down at this point. Combined with the fact that Blaze was putting more effort into these fire blasts, Luster could only block. Luckily his fur didn't get singed for whatever reason.

After a few blasts, Luster activated a Ki barrier, taking a load off his back. Or in this case, his arms, as they were the ones receiving the shots of fire. Luster then quickly used his Mach Dash technique to get behind Blaze, allowing him to use another Death Beam, forcing Blaze into recoil. This let Luster get in close with another barrage of punches and kicks, leading into an upwards kick and a Kamehameha.

But that Kamehameha never hit. Blaze used another sudden jet burst of flames to send herself towards the ground. Luster immediately stopped his turtle wave of destruction and was about to continue the fight. Blaze had other ideas.

"Stop! It's pointless to continue. Just give me the Sol Emerald and I'll be on my way," Blaze continued to demand.

"No way! You're a bad Mobian! I can't let anyone that's bad have something as powerful as that emerald thing!" Luster refused.

"I'm not evil! I've been trying to tell you that, but it seems you didn't listen," Blaze sighed. "Look, I really don't want to hurt any innocents. I need the Sol Emeralds so I can save my world. Do you understand?"

"That's somethin' a bad guy would say! You're just tryin' to trick me," Luster shook his head.

Blaze sighed again. "It might seem like I'm trying to trick you, but I'm not. I'm not bad. My world will die if I don't get those Sol Emeralds. I'm from another dimension, it seems. My dimension relies solely on the Sol Emeralds. Without them, it will crumble and cease to exist. I cannot let that happen. So give me that emerald."

Luster's eyes widened. " _Another dimension? But she looks just like a Mobian...she definitely can't be from Goku's world. I think I get it now...these emeralds have gotta be really important to her._ "

Without another word, Luster pulled out the yellow Sol Emerald and threw it to Blaze, who caught the gem with ease. Instead of looking pleased as Luster expected, she seemed very surprised. Luster was confused.

"W-what? You're just...giving this to me? I...I thought you were going to keep this from me like that other person…" Blaze stuttered out in her surprise.

"Why would I? These things are definitely important for you. I can tell you're good, since a bad guy wouldn't be as determined as you are," Luster replied with a smile. "Hey, if you want, I can help ya. I can warp ya straight to the other Sol Emeralds. How 'bout it?"

"Warp?" Blaze tilted her head in confusion. "No. I can't accept your help. This is something I must do on my own."

"But it'll help you. My Instant Transmission can bring you to the Sol Emeralds super quickly. Like in an instant. It's how I got here," Luster tried to explain.

"I can't…"

Instead of waiting for a full response like a sensible Mobian, Luster grabbed onto Blaze's arm and immediately warped her along with himself to the nearest Sol Emerald. Much to her objections. Luster didn't care. Show, don't tell, after all.

However, Luster and Blaze weren't the only ones aware of the Sol Emeralds. Dr. Eggman had a strange companion. They too had their eyes on the seven prizes...no, the fourteen prizes. But not only them...G.U.N was aware. A certain dark team was sent out by the Commander of G.U.N to investigate these strange new energies.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 2 (Sword Art Online II, Startear, English) -**

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _If I had the chance to make a wish_

 _I wouldn't make sadness last so long_

 _I've turned away at every time, looking at my past I leave a tear_

 _Since then I've hid all of the scars_

 _That I've got, yet I will, remain here_

 _I'll easily bear everything that comes right out, of those concealed memories_

 _What is this thing that they call love?_

 _Is it something I'm far above?_

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _Stronger than I've ever been before_

 _To overcome the darkness on my own, to leave it all, no more_

 _And if I were to sink, I'd just climb up, out of the hole I dug myself into_

 _Away from those depths, that I wouldn't be able to escape from_

 _I'll never be unable to call any of you because_

 _The silver lining's with me too_


	13. Ultimate Lifeform vs Saiyan Prince

_**Author Notes:**_ **Sorry for the gap between chapter uploads. The holidays happened, which meant I had to go from the university to my home, which is across the country (pretty much). I was exhausted for a few days after I got home, so combined with Christmas, my birthday and New Years happening at essentially the same time, that meant I didn't really feel like working on this fic. I also had a cold. That didn't help at all.  
But now here we are! Not only does this fic work as a Christmas + New Years special kinda thing, it also acts as a celebration of the story's sixth anniversary! Thank you to everybody who has either read at least a single chapter of this fic, reviewed at least once, or anything of the sort. Thank you so much. Don't forget to share this story with anybody and everybody. I'd appreciate the extra views.**

 **With that out of the way, let's begin the sixth anniversary chapter.**

* * *

Angered fists flew across the air, smashing the air particles resting in front of its wrathful presence. Kicks were aplenty as well. These were interchanged with the punches that came from the slightly short statured, pointy-haired fighter. Right now, he was straining himself. Straining himself to the absolute limits of his body and soul. The prideful fighter was engaged with an intense bout of physical training. Sweat was pouring down his face like a waterfall. Normally, something like this would be easy for the warrior.

But he was training in several times Earth's gravity. It had to have been at least a hundred, certainly more so. It had to have been because the Saiyan Prince was having difficulty with it. Though it seemed as if he didn't mind this. Inside his mind, there was something else eating away at his subconscious, irritating him to no end.

Vegeta didn't like being irritated.

" _Why did Kakarot have to come here at the same time as Whis? I couldn't have asked for anything worse…_ " Vegeta, the Saiyan Price, thought to himself while he trained. " _Whis said something about wanting to try Christmas cake...of course Kakarot had to follow suit. At least Beerus isn't here...for some reason._ "

As soon as he hit that realisation, Vegeta stopped training for a moment, but then ignored the fact and went back to training. He'd been doing this for several hours at this point, having retreated to the Gravity Chamber soon after Goku's arrival at Capsule Corporation, which occurred not long after Whis arrived. Vegeta's family was much too familiar with this lonesome habit of his so there was never a problem with him doing so. In fact, Vegeta usually preferred being alone.

However, Goku arrived, showing his unwelcome face to the fellow pure blooded Saiyan.

"Hi, Vegeta!" Goku greeted his friend. "So you're busy training, huh?"

"Yes," Vegeta simply responded, hoping that a usage of short sentences would give Goku the hint. That did not work.

"Awesome. I'm kinda surprised you're still using the Gravity Chamber, honestly. I thought you woulda trained at the highest setting already," Goku continued speaking - much to Vegeta's chagrin.

"Bulma and her father keep improving this thing. I'm...thankful for that. What do you want, Kakarot? Have you come here to tempt me to join in with the feasting of the cake? Christmas was a week ago."

Goku frowned. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't have more cake."

Vegeta sighed, already frustrated with Kakarot's antics. "Just get out of here. I'm not done."

Instead of leaving as per the prince's request, Goku simply watched as Vegeta repeatedly punched and kicked the air, in some hopeful attempt to raise his striking power in any way. Vegeta noticed this and stopped training.

"Didn't I tell you to get lost?" he reminded him. "Get moving, Kakarot."

"Hmm…" Goku was silent for some time, which only served to irritate Vegeta further. "Well, okay, you probably need it. I'm gonna need some training too, especially if I wanna beat that Sonic guy someday…"

The mention of a 'Sonic' pushed Vegeta towards peak vexation. Ever since his encounter with the Mobian on Beerus' world, Goku had been talking non-stop about said Mobian. The hedgehog's strength, that Super Form's durability...that speed. Those were all things that Goku just wouldn't stop talking about. And if he was this talkative about Sonic around the prince, Vegeta could only imagine how he was at home. Vegeta frowned.

"I thought I told you to stop bringing that up…!" Vegeta growled at Goku. He almost startled the simple-minded Saiyan. "Ugh, I've had enough! I'm leaving. Don't you dare use this chamber, Kakarot."

Vegeta turned off the Gravity Chamber as he was saying this. He walked past Goku, who moved to the side as to allow the prince to walk on by. Goku's expression changed from the positive, childlike wonder he had while thinking about Super Sonic's power to a concerned look.

" _Did I say something?_ " Goku wondered.

 _Age 779 - 4:30 PM_

 _Capsule Corporation, Inside the Main Building_

Despite how annoying they were, Kakarot's words rang inside Vegeta's mind as he walked down the long, narrow hallways of Capsule Corporation - his home. The constant mention of a 'Sonic', there being something about an immensely powerful 'Super Form'...it all clicked with him and his interests. Secretly, Vegeta really wanted a slice of the hedgehog pie, as it were. His Saiyan instincts were telling him to go find this potential challenge and take it on.

But there was a problem. Sonic lived in another dimension entirely. It would be impossible for Vegeta to get there on his own. Perhaps Bulma would be able to come up with a machine that could sort that out, though the chances of her accepting such a request would be minimal. The fact that he couldn't get what he really wanted...it irritated Vegeta so much. It annoyed him more than Kakarot's presence generally did.

There had to be some way...some way for him to get to Sonic's dimension. Something...something needed to be done. Something that could get him what he really wanted. Luckily, the universe seemed to have given him just what he needed.

"Oh, Vegeta, there you are. I thought you were out training?" Whis, the angel, asked the prince. "At least that's what Bulma said you were doing."

"Whis? Weren't you dining yourself on some cake? Why are you here and not at the dinner table?" Vegeta wondered, only partially curious.

"I needed to use the little angel's room. You can't expect me to simply let loose on the floor, can you? Though it appears I've gotten lost. Could you be a dear and help me find it?" Whis requested.

The Prince of All Saiyans sighed once again, almost audibly growling. He was displeased with this request, but decided to fulfill it all the same, since Whis had been so useful to him in the past. Vegeta led the divine being through the series of connecting hallways until they reached the nearest bathroom, a facility that Whis desperately needed. He zoomed inside.

"Thanks, Vegeta…!" he called out as he went to do his business.

Disgusted with the angel's mannerisms, Vegeta was about to march off to some other room, when he came to a sudden realisation. The one who allowed Kakarot to fight Sonic in the first place...it was Whis. This meant that there was some universal hopping power at work. And that would be his ticket to seeing precisely what Kakarot had been talking about.

By the time he finished thinking about this, Whis had left the bathroom.

"Oh, were you waiting for me, Vegeta? How kind of you. I could use a guide back to the table," the angel strongly insisted.

"Whis," Vegeta simply said, knocking Whis out of his comical stupor. "A while ago, you brought some hedgehog called Sonic to Beerus' planet, where he then fought Kakarot. I want you do the same for me."

"Hmm? I see…" Whis thought about this for a moment. "Unfortunately for you, I can't remember much about that hedgehog, to be honest. I don't even remember what he looked like. So even if I were to help you, it would take us time to find the right one. That, and I still have all that food to finish. Why would I leave all that behind…?"

"I'll make more for you after the fight," Vegeta instantly offered, knowing full well about the angel's constant lust for food.

"Deal. I'll hold you to that, Vegeta. Your food best be better than what Bulma's providing," Whis quickly accepted. "It'll take us some time to get to that other universe. Are you ready?"

"Just do it."

Vegeta quickly grabbed onto Whis' shoulder. Seconds later, both the angel and the prince teleported out of the Capsule Corporation building and began moving towards another dimension entirely. Though Bulma was frustrated with having to wait so long for her guest's return. Vegeta wasn't thinking about that at all - he just wanted to fight.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 2 (Martian Successor Nadesico, You Get to Burning, English) -**

 _Enduring embarrassment, you went ahead and kicked a stone_

 _But bouncing back, it might become a diamond_

 _Dreams you get right away aren't even dreams, I hope you know_

 _Still I believe you'll get them soon, so just go_

 _Don't you give in, I believe in you_

 _If you ever, wanna cry_

 _I'll be there and I'll realise that is my cue_

 _You get to burning_

 _Stand proudly, since it is just who you are_

 _Those days when you're alright are pieces of your dream, flown far_

 _You get to burning_

 _Gotta pick up, those lost pieces_

 _And as you do that, I see that, you are…_

 _Going your days, grow up!_

* * *

Meanwhile, in that other universe, Team Dark was exploring a hefty, leaf-filled zone known as Leaf Forest. They had been sent there via orders from G.U.N., whose commander really wished to investigate the Chaos Emeralds for some reason. Shadow, Rouge and Omega were moving across shuttle loops as well as making use of the many Springs to get around the area. Omega in particular was acting as a radar for the zone's emerald.

They were getting close. It was their last one, too. Shadow already held the first six in his Hammerspace. Just this last one and their mission would be complete.

"Omega, any updates?" Rouge asked their robotic friend.

The E-Series robot whirred and buzzed for a few seconds before returning to normal speech. "The Chaos Emerald is several units to the east. It should be located around that pile of rocks to our left." One of his robotic arms pointed in that direction.

"Excellent. Let's not waste any more time here," Shadow directed the team.

He began running towards the left, as per Omega's directions, while his squadmates followed close behind. It didn't take long for them to come across the rock formation that was pointed out by their robo companion. Shadow pulled some of the rocks aside. The seventh, red Chaos Emerald was then uncovered.

"We've retrieved the last emerald, Topaz. We're heading back to base immediately," Rouge reported to her human friend through communicators. "Alright, let's get moving, boys. Don't wanna keep the top brass waiting."

"That would be a bad idea. Last time I kept them waiting, they threatened to shut me down for a whole week. Monsters," Omega recalled, to Rouge's slight amusement.

But instead of getting ready to move, Shadow seemed distracted by something. He was facing away into the distance, red Chaos Emerald in hand. Concerned for her friend, Rouge approached to find out the reason for this.

"Shadow, what's wrong?" Rouge wondered, her tone of voice reflecting her concern.

"Look over there," Shadow nodded in the direction he was facing.

Taking the hint, Rouge followed Shadow's gaze, where she happened upon...well, something. She didn't quite have an opinion on it. There was a small man and a tall, light blue skinned (or furred) creature standing around, seemingly doing nothing. Rouge was more confused than anything.

"I don't understand. Why are you fixated on them? It's not like they're out of the ordinary or anything. In fact, we've seen so many things, that those guys seem normal. So what's the problem?" Rouge wanted to know.

"Because I just saw them appear there, like they'd just exited some kind of teleportation. And something tells me that those two don't belong here," Shadow revealed.

As Rouge pondered this, the pair in question turned to face the team of three. The small man in particular stared right at Shadow - as if there was some business between them. In an instant, the man shot through the air to meet the Ultimate Lifeform face to face, with the angel following in tow.

"Honestly Vegeta, do calm down. You might just destroy this lovely environment if you rush around recklessly like that," Whis warned the Saiyan.

"Hmph," Vegeta grunted in response. He stared at Shadow for a moment. "This is the one. Fight me, hedgehog. I know about your power. I want you to show it to me."

Shadow was confused. "Excuse me? Who are you? You can't be an ordinary human."

"Of course not. I am Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans! I can't be compared to an earthling," Vegeta returned.

"Even though you Saiyans look exactly like earthlings…" Whis remarked under his breath.

Rouge stepped in.

"Hold on a sec, what's going on here?" she asked. "You can't just go up to someone and ask for a fight like that. That's pretty rude."

"I don't have time for this. Hedgehog! Fight me now! Use that super transformation you used against Kakarot! I need to know just how powerful that form is," Vegeta demanded. "I won't leave until you accept."

" _He knows of the Super Form…_ " Shadow mentally noted. "I don't know who this 'Kakarot' is, but if you aren't going to leave easily, then I have no choice. I accept your challenge."

"Shadow-" Rouge tried to interject.

But the fight started immediately. Vegeta charged ahead and pushed Shadow away, using his Ki to increase his physical strength. Luckily, their impromptu arena was fairly large, so neither of them had any problems maneuvering around. Rouge, Omega and Whis stood to the side, simply becoming observers for the fight between the Ultimate Lifeform and the Saiyan Prince.

Moments after it began, Shadow found himself able to kick his opponent, loosening the Saiyan's grip and creating a bit of space between them. Vegeta decided to fire a repeated volley of energy blasts in some vain attempt to do some damage. However, Shadow was easily able to avoid each and every single one. The black and red furred Mobian rushed past all the blasts, then landed a piercing kick to Vegeta's chest.

He was sent back some ways as a result of Shadow's strike. The prince was relatively unharmed, but ticked off.

" _Why isn't he using that form? I can tell he has those jewels...so why isn't he using them? I suppose I must push him to do so!_ " Vegeta thought to himself before getting back into the action.

The pure-blooded Saiyan fired a simple Ki beam at the inorganic Mobian, though the latter's speed and general mobility came into play, thus the beam had no effect (at least, no effect on Shadow, it did make a small crater in the zone's environment). But it seemed as if Vegeta was anticipating this. He shot through the air with his Ki flight ability before landing a barrage of punches as well as kicks on his agile foe. Shadow hadn't anticipated this, so he had to deal with the full force of the onslaught.

Vegeta finished off his little combo with a Kiai - an air pressure - which was in turn followed up with a classic technique: the Galick Gun. Its receiver was pelted with a narrow, purple wave of energy-based destruction. Shadow could only block it. As a result, he was blown far back. He landed in front of a shuttle loop. Vegeta followed the hedgehog and stood in the air while looking down upon the grounded denizen of this universe.

"Ha! You've got to be joking. Is that really your power? Kakarot spoke too highly of it...at this rate, you'll be a waste of my time," taunted Vegeta.

"Waste...of time? You're the one who wanted to fight me. But don't act as if it's over now…" Shadow returned. "...I am far from done."

Shadow began to draw on the power of one of his Chaos Emeralds, merely using that power to stop time with Chaos Control. He used the small jets in his sneakers to hover up to Vegeta's point in the sky. Now it was his turn to unleash some pain. The Ultimate Lifeform rammed into the Saiyan multiple times over with numerous high-speed Homing Attacks, before finishing it up with a massive amount of Chaos Spears and Chaos Magics.

When Shadow unfroze time, the combined collective force behind the Homing Attacks sent Vegeta flying into the Chaos Magics, which in turn knocked him around some. Then the Chaos Spears slammed him into the ground. And now the tables had turned. Shadow was in the air, Vegeta wasn't.

" _What was that?! It almost felt like Hit's Time Skip, but this is different...is he stopping time entirely?!_ " Vegeta realised. "No more playing around, fleabag! I'll show you the true power of a Saiyan!"

A massive amount of Ki aura began flaring around the Saiyan Prince. His power, speed and durability all increased. This wasn't quite a transformation. He simply powered up. Quite a bit, too. It was enough to catch Shadow off guard, allowing the prince to dash in and unload a seemingly never ending barrage of punches and kicks which was rounded off with a downwards arcing two-handed slam. Shadow was sent back down to the leafy earth.

" _He's become serious...I must do the same_ ," Shadow decided on his next course of action. "Chaos...Boost!"

The Ultimate Lifeform was surrounded with a red aura that strongly reminded Vegeta of something. Expecting his opponent to immediately start attacking, Vegeta readied himself for such a move, but Shadow wasn't done powering up. He slid off the Inhibitor Rings that were on his arms, further increasing his strength by quite a bit.

This new power, in a complete reversal of before, caught Vegeta off guard. He couldn't do anything to prevent Shadow from pausing time with Chaos Control, setting up an elaborate set of different Chaos Powers that, when time was resumed, knocked the prince around some more. But this time, the powered-up Shadow used a Chaos Torrent just as the knocking around was about to cease. Such an ancient technique created a huge area-of-effect blast that completely engulfed Vegeta in its huge, bright red presence.

"There's no way he can survive that…" Rouge commented on the sidelines.

"I would not be so hasty, Rouge," Omega refuted.

Whis chimed in, as he was standing next to the two. "The robot's right. Don't assume such things so early. That tends to surprise people."

"R-right…" Rouge responded nervously. " _Who ARE these people?!_ "

Everyone's respective attentions returned to the fierce battle that was playing out before them. The smoke from Shadow's Chaos Torrent began to subside, revealing that the prince was still fine. Though he had taken some damage. That much was clear, what with all the bruises he had.

"Nice attempt, rat. But you're still not worth my time...I'll show you just how hopeless you are. Maybe with this, you'll realise that not even your precious emeralds can beat me!" Vegeta yelled, his frown becoming as intense as it could.

His yell remained. Vegeta was gathering up more Ki, but it was of a different variety than usual. A variety that Whis recognised. Shadow's opponent was rapidly increasing in power. As the concentration of energy massively rose around the prince, blue lights began to form around him. Soon enough, Vegeta was entirely surrounded by this blueness. The ground trembled beneath his might. Deep in his subconscious, Shadow was also afraid as to what was about to come his way.

Before long, the blue light dissipated, as did the yell along with the Ki gathering. Vegeta was there, in a form that resembled his regular Super Saiyan state, but with blue hair instead. His strength was far, far beyond what it had been before. Shadow could feel it.

And he didn't like what he felt.

"Do you feel it? Do you feel what true power is? This, is Super Saiyan Blue! A Super Saiyan that's entered the realm of the gods! You have no power over me now!" Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta exclaimed.

Although Shadow couldn't sense this power, it was very clear to him that he was outmatched. Before he could even start thinking coherently, Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta teleported in front of the Ultimate Lifeform. With just one punch, Shadow was instantly blasted into the side of a hill. He was imbedded into that piece of raised ground. And he was unconscious.

" _Fool. He thought he could fight me without that transformation. He had no chance…_ " Vegeta gloated internally to himself. But something happened inside that hill that caught the prince's attention. " _What?!_ "

Shadow emerged, but he was no longer the same as previously. His fur was now gold-yellow, his eyes were red and his strength was drastically higher. Vegeta grinned, for this was the very power he'd been waiting for all this time.

"Behold, the true power I possess!" Super Shadow exclaimed. "This is what you wanted, right? You should've been careful with what you wished for, because you're just now getting it."

"I can see...this might be actually be a challenge!" Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta commented. "Come at me, super rat!"

"If you insist…"

Super Shadow did just that. With teleportation-like movement, Shadow hurtled ahead at a speed that Vegeta could barely react to. The pair of them engaged in a bout of fisticuffs - a bout that only Whis could see. Rouge's eyes certainly couldn't keep up with their faster than light movements. Neither could Omega's sensors. Whis was fine.

Vegeta ended the back-and-forth with another air pressure, comboing that into a barrage of godly energy balls. Super Shadow simply hovered there and took the blasts as if they were literally nothing. Irritated upon seeing this, Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta rushed in, delivered unto his foe another round of punches and kicks before a downwards stabbing kick. That led itself into a Big Bang Attack, one of Vegeta's strongest moves. The large turquoise Ki ball landed on Shadow perfectly.

However, much to the prince's displeasure, it wasn't actually doing any damage. It wasn't hurting Shadow at all. In fact, Super Shadow was able to warp the Big Bang Attack away with Chaos Control without much issue. Vegeta was soon hit with his own technique since the Big Bang Attack came crashing down upon him, sending him flying towards Shadow, who used this opportunity to blast Vegeta into the stratosphere with a single kick. Shadow followed close behind.

"Oh, my, they've gone that far," Whis remarked.

"How're we going to watch from here?" Rouge wondered, trying her absolute best to see the two specs of gold and blue respectively from her spot on the ground. "It's not like we have any video cameras up there or something."

"A simple matter for an angel such as myself," Whis happily answered, almost in a butler-like fashion. He made his staff levitate outwards and project a high quality, television-esque view of the fight happening far above.

"Oh. Well, that works," Rouge accepted this.

The fight devolved into a clash of fists and feet. Shadow had the upper hand, as he was able to stop time whenever he wanted, allowing him to get in a number of good hits before Vegeta could even react. The prince tried to apply the same tactics Goku used against the assassin Hit's Time Skip ability during their fight with Universe 6 - anticipating the time distorting move before it happens - though this never worked. Shadow's reaction time was just that much better.

Despite this, Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta was able to hang in there. His greater fighting experience granted him the ability to see cracks in Shadow's style, permitting him a few hits of his own, even though none of them actually affected him. Every time Vegeta landed a powerful-seeming strike that simply did nothing against the Super Form's invulnerability, his anger rose. It kept rising. Soon, it reached its breaking point.

"If you're so invincible, then stay there and take this!" Vegeta shouted. He stretched out two arms in front of him and began charging an incredible amount of his godly Ki between his combined palms. Super Shadow floated there, waiting for the attack to be ready. When it was just about done… "Final Flash!"

It was unleashed. The massively powerful beam quickly reached the super hedgehog, who blocked the attack on, seemingly taking Vegeta's request as some kind of challenge. Just as before, Shadow was able to avoid all damage thanks to his transformation. The rest of the beam phased through him harmlessly. It soon dissipated entirely, leaving Vegeta gobsmacked.

"Are you done? It seems like you are," Super Shadow noticed. "Now you're the one wasting my time. I'm not sure what it is that you want with me. I don't know who you are, who this 'Kakarot' is, or what exactly your friend is down there. It's possible you've mistaken me for someone else. And in all likelihood, that's probably the case. That's happened before."

"Don't be ridiculous! You have this transformation and with it, you can fight against me! You must be the one that fought Kakarot before. Rather, Goku's the name he likes to use. Even though it's wrong," Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta doubted.

"I don't know any 'Goku' either. You're probably looking for Sonic, then…" Shadow sighed. "I thought that kind of mix-up would never happen again, but here we are. Let's end this fight here. It's clear you won't be able to do any more damage to me. You'd be wasting your energy if you tried. I'm willing to bet you don't have much more of that. So give up."

"A true Saiyan never gives up! I won't quit until I've found some way to-"

Vegeta was smashed down onto the ground with a single kick from Shadow. The force behind the strike had been enough to revert Vegeta back into his base form. Super Shadow descended to the ground just as Whis turned off the staff's screen - it was no longer needed.

"It's over. Stop acting so foolish and go back to where you came from. I have things to do," Shadow insisted while Vegeta laid on the ground.

Painfully, Vegeta arose from his position, but he could barely move. All of his energy from earlier was practically gone. "I will never...this fight isn't over yet!"

"You truly are an idiot," Shadow sighed once again.

He was about to smack more sense into the prince, but Whis intervened. The angel held onto Vegeta's shoulder and began to speak in an almost motherly tone.

"Now now, Vegeta. You've had your fun, haven't you? I think now would be a good time to return to Capsule Corporation," Whis strongly suggested. "Bulma's waiting."

"But, I…"

Vegeta took another look at Super Shadow. The sight of the hedgehog greatly irritated the prince, causing him to turn away almost immediately.

"Fine. Take me back. I'll fight him some other day," Vegeta held onto the angel's shoulder as before.

Whis smiled. "Excellent! Now don't forget, you did promise me you'd make me some food after the right, remember?"

"Wait, what?!"

Before Vegeta could back out, Whis initiated the teleport, leaving the Mobians and the E-Series robot alone in their dimension, surrounded by the damaged Leaf Forest Zone. Just as Rouge and Omega approached the super hedgehog, the form subsided, meaning that the Chaos Emeralds sent themselves to different parts of the world once again.

"Well, that happened," Rouge remarked. "Just as we were about to complete our mission, we were interrupted by that Saiyan guy. Now we have to start it all over again."

"It's only a minor setback. It won't take us long to get them all again," Shadow returned.

Rouge sighed. "I'll inform Topaz about this...the Commander isn't gonna like it."

"The Commander will have to deal with it. This was an unexpected occurrence that should not happen again," Omega stated. "Go tell the higher-up meatbags, Rouge. We should restart the hunt immediately."

"Of course…" Rouge turned on her communicator and did exactly as she said she would.

Meanwhile, Shadow used this small downtime to think about the person he'd just fought. Vegeta...a Super Saiyan who'd entered the realm of gods. An interestingly persistent person. During the fight, Shadow recognised the kinds of moves Vegeta was using. They were much alike the ones Luster utilised...perhaps this Vegeta came from the same universe that the cat visited. Shadow was intrigued.

But his focus was then diverted back to the mission at hand. Shadow never forgot about that super powerful Super Saiyan.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 2 (Sword Art Online II, Startear, English) -**

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _If I had the chance to make a wish_

 _I wouldn't make sadness last so long_

 _I've turned away at every time, looking at my past I leave a tear_

 _Since then I've hid all of the scars_

 _That I've got, yet I will, remain here_

 _I'll easily bear everything that comes right out, of those concealed memories_

 _What is this thing that they call love?_

 _Is it something I'm far above?_

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _Stronger than I've ever been before_

 _To overcome the darkness on my own, to leave it all, no more_

 _And if I were to sink, I'd just climb up, out of the hole I dug myself into_

 _Away from those depths, that I wouldn't be able to escape from_

 _I'll never be unable to call any of you because_

 _The silver lining's with me too_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes (again):**_ **I should state that this chapter takes place after the Sonic Rush adaption. That doesn't really matter much, but that just means that the events here don't connect with anything that's about to happen in the adaption.**

 **On the Dragon Ball side of things, this takes place after the Universe 6 Tournament Saga as well as the Future Trunks Saga, but before the Tournament of Power. That's why Vegeta didn't go Advanced Blue or whatever that form was.**

 **Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review, follow and share this fic with others. Thank you all for an awesome six years and have a great 2019! I'll see you all next time.**


	14. Fanning the Flames

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

The story celebrated its sixth anniversary. But in terms of where we are in that short, a strange situation blanketed the combined Mobius and Earth. From the comfort of the Thorndyke Mansion, Luster sensed several strange energies around the world. He went to investigate right after finishing a warm cup of tea.

Upon using his Instant Transmission to immediately get to one of these energy sources, he discovered something quite unusual. A yellow gem...one that felt incredibly similar to the Chaos Emeralds. His investigation was interrupted by a sudden blast of fire, hurled at him by an unknown feminine (and feline, too) figure. She demanded the return of the 'Sol Emerald' - the name of the gem.

A fight broke out. Rather, a cat fight, if you will. The pink-furred cat's scorching attacks were hard to deal with, but Luster's fighting style evened out the odds. At one point during the bout, Blaze - the other cat - again demanded for the Sol Emerald. Luster refused, still stuck in his line of thinking that Blaze was a villain. However, after she explained her situation (that her dimension needed the seven Sol Emeralds to survive), Luster handed over the yellow jewel and offered to help her in her quest. Though she was apprehensive about the idea, Luster got mildly irritated with the fellow feline and decided to force-warp her to the location of the next Sol Emerald.

We now come back to pretty much right when we left off!

 _October 15th 1991 - 2:50 PM_

 _Unknown Base_

Within the metallic, dark blue station floating far above the planet, evil thoughts were running amok. Even more so since two evil scientists were at the helm instead of the usual one. Of course, there was the forever present Doctor Eggman, but sitting beside him (in a different chair) was another robotical genius whose intellect matched that of Eggman's.

This new gentleman wore a black leather coat that had yellow highlights with a red jumpsuit underneath, generally radiating a similar vile vibe that Eggman's clothes radiated as well. He had a visor resting on his head, which was strange, since he was already wearing glasses. Directly contrasting Eggman's infamous moustache, the new person's upper-lipped facial hair was grey - perhaps he was a much older genius.

Clearly, age didn't matter to him. Neither did it matter to Eggman, who was perfectly content on working with this person. Though that might've been because...this person was an alternate version of him.

"Eggman Nega!" Eggman initiated a conversation with his counterpart. "Is everything going well with the Sol Emerald collection?"

"Indeed it is, my good genius," Dr. Eggman Nega, the new person, answered happily. "We only have four of them, though that irritating cat has at least one of them."

Eggman raised an eyebrow. "Which cat?"

"Huh? You know, Blaze. My mortal enemy. The one that keeps intercepting and annihilating all my plans because 'she hates people like me', or whatever," Eggman Nega answered in confusion. "I don't what it is with her...uh, anyway, what do you mean by 'which'? Is there another cat I should know about?"

"Yes, actually. His name is Luster. He shouldn't be too much of a problem, but his unique abilities might mess things up. Well, they might, if we weren't playing it smart, which we are now. Have you wondered why I haven't advised you to actively gather the Sol Emeralds?"

Nega thought about this as he tried to remember. "I am a little curious, yes. Why would you not want us to do this faster?"

"Because…" Eggman began to manically grin. "If we were hunting the Sol Emeralds alongside those pesky animals, they would most assuredly beat us to the punch every time. That's how it usually works. So a while ago, I figured...why not use that to my advantage? Or, in this case, _our_ advantage. You see, we can gather as many emeralds as we want before we initiate whatever plan we've come up with at that time. But they will most likely end up getting some of them, if not all, by the time the plan is foiled. So it'd be far more efficient for us to gather as little as possible before putting our plan into action. That way, we'd have more time to do something else."

Eggman Nega looked over at a pair of machines in the room they were in. One held four Chaos Emeralds, the other - three Sol Emeralds. The scientist from another dimension returned his attention to his comrade and nodded.

"Then we let them know that we're up to something. This might be telling them directly, by throwing out one of our boss mechs, or both. By some cosmic power, their nature as self-proclaimed heroes will lead them to the remaining emeralds. Somehow, they'll figure out the location of our base, then they'll come here. As they'll be on our turf, we can easily capture or incapcitate them, where we can then steal the rest of the emeralds. Once we ensure they can't use either of the emeralds' powers, victory will be within our grasp."

Nega smiled.

"An amazing plan, doctor. You say you figured this out a while ago?"

"Exactly. I had some downtime, so I tried to formulate a rough plan template that would be foolproof. I ironed out a few kinks and began to prepare. You, Blaze and the Sol Emeralds showed up right after I finished preparing. Perfect timing," regular Eggman explained further.

"With the combined power of both sets of emeralds, we'll be literally unstoppable! No mystic mumbo-jumbo will get in our way! Just as long as we play our cards correctly…"

"That's not a problem, Nega," Eggman said as he leaned back in his chair. "We already have the cards we need. It's a matter of playing them at the right time."

The doctors continued to revel in the sheer genius displayed with the plan. Now they're counting on the usual circumstances in which the heroes take advantage of in order to succeed...they are planning around the very thing that typically defeats them. And in no way would they be bested this time. Not with this plan.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 2 (Martian Successor Nadesico, You Get to Burning, English) -**

 _Enduring embarrassment, you went ahead and kicked a stone_

 _But bouncing back, it might become a diamond_

 _Dreams you get right away aren't even dreams, I hope you know_

 _Still I believe you'll get them soon, so just go_

 _Don't you give in, I believe in you_

 _If you ever, wanna cry_

 _I'll be there and I'll realise that is my cue_

 _You get to burning_

 _Stand proudly, since it is just who you are_

 _Those days when you're alright are pieces of your dream, flown far_

 _You get to burning_

 _Gotta pick up, those lost pieces_

 _And as you do that, I see that, you are…_

 _Going your days, grow up!_

* * *

Back with the pair of felines, those two had just warped away from that unnamed location, much to Blaze's apprehension. Where they reappeared was quite the different locale. Instead of grass and other such greenery being aplenty, there were endless white buildings overlooking the vast ocean ahead. This was the town known as Apotos, in the Asian continent of Earth and in the country of Greece. Others knew it as Windmill Isle (since there was a large windmill in the town that provided a large amount of the place's energy) or Water Palace (due to the ancient elegance of the many white buildings).

Part of the water was almost lodged between two thin pieces of earth that stuck outwards. It seemed that the local residency was using that part as a public swimming pool, as there were a mix of humans and Mobians utilising the area for relaxation or playful purposes. The pool was separated from the rest of the ocean through the use of an elaborate gate system, so it was perfectly safe for regular public use.

Luster and Blaze reappeared on the roof of one of these white buildings, next to a pile of clothes that had been left there for some reason. The former of the pair stretched his arms and took in the view.

"Whoa, this place sure is cool," he commented. "It'd be awesome to look around here if we can."

Meanwhile, Blaze was busy reorienting herself. She was almost dazed all the while being partially convinced that she was dreaming. After all, she'd been suddenly brought from one location to another in an instant. Not to mention, the two locations were extremely different from one another, merely adding to the confusion factor. That, and she'd never wanted to warp in the first place. Luster noticed her bewildered facial expression.

"Huh? Is somethin' wrong, Blaze?" he asked her. "Did ya not like that?"

"N-no!" Blaze shook her head. "How did...why...why?"

"Uh, what? You askin' why I used my Instant Transmission to warp you here?" Luster wondered, to which Blaze nodded in confirmation. "Oh. Well, you said you needed those Sol Emeralds, so I figured the best way to get 'em to ya was to use Instant Transmission. It's quick and super easy. I don't get why you wouldn't want that."

"But…you can't just do something like that without warning the other person first! I was incredibly dizzy for a moment...I think I'm okay now," Blaze scolded the younger cat.

"You get used to it. I did. All my friends did. Considerin' there's probably seven of those things, we'll be doin' a lot of Instant Transmissioning. I can't sense some of them though...there's like three missing," Luster responded, trailing away from the topic at hand like an accidental conversation genius.

"R-really?"

"Yeah. I sensed 'em earlier but now they're all gone. 'Cept for the one you've got, the one I gave you, the one that's here and that other one out there. Dunno where the others went. They all back in your world?"

Blaze shook her head, this time in a calmer fashion. "No. I would know if they went back. I'm positive they're still in this dimension."

"Huh. Guess we might hafta start lookin' the old fashioned way."

Luster began scanning the immediate environment for any sign of energetic activity from a mystical gem of sorts. There was plenty of energy being used by the ones playing in the public pool down below, but that wasn't quite what Luster was looking for. Out of the corner of her eye, Blaze sighted a familiar green light shining through the gaps between the pile of clothes. She darted straight through it and pulled out the green Sol Emerald.

"This is it…" Blaze felt more at peace now that she had her second emerald. At this point, Luster had turned around to see what was going on. "Now there's only four more."

" _I couldn't tell that was there? Seriously, me?_ " Luster frowned for a split second. "Hey, that's cool. Now do ya see how handy my Instant Transmission is? It'll get ya to the rest of those Sol Emeralds before anyone can even realise they're gone. That's a good thing, right? So can I come with ya and help?"

"Well, I…" Blaze's apprehension returned. "This is something I must do on my own, but that technique of yours will be very useful…"

She paused as she considered all of the information she'd been handed thus far about Luster's potential for assistance.

"...Alright, fine. Have it your way. You can help. I don't want to waste any time, though. I need to get the Sol Emeralds back to my world so I can save it. And I sense that this world's somehow being affected by their presence...so in the process of saving my world, we'll be saving this one as well."

"Oh, really? That just means we've gotta be as fast as we can," Luster mentally noted this down. "Grab onto my shoulder or somethin'. I'll lock onto the next Sol Emerald's energy so we can warp straight...there…"

"What? What happened?!" Blaze immediately asked.

"Nothin', really. There's just two more Ki sources I sense next to the emerald...it's Shadow and Rouge. Omega's probably with 'em, too," Luster informed her. "They're good. They'll help us out."

"I see," Blaze replied. " _Whoever they are, I hope they don't start following us. I don't particularly want this guy helping me out, but he'll be helpful. I won't need any extra help…_ "

Luster readied his Instant Transmission technique, then motioned for Blaze to make physical contact with him. She chose to take his earlier suggestion of a simple shoulder grab. When the pair of them were ready (especially Blaze, who mentally prepared herself for the same disorientation she felt last time), Luster activated the technique, warping the two away to a highly different locale once more.

 _October 15th 1991 - 3:02 PM_

 _Toy Kingdom_

First they were in the sand-filled Mirage Road, then they were in the water paradise of Apotos/Water Palace...now they were in quite the interesting locale. Huge, fake castles lined the many intertwining pathways. Lifesize children's toys roamed the streets as a bunch of human and Mobian children interacted with them in pure joy.

But none of that was either of Blaze or Luster's respective focuses. Instead, in an open plaza portion of the zone, they were staring down the three members of Team Dark, who were all inspecting the dark blue Sol Emerald which was parked firmly within Shadow's grasp. The team already noticed the presence of the feline pair, hence the staring down. Blaze was figuratively shooting daggers at the trio.

"Excuse me, I need that Sol Emerald you have," Blaze demanded, practically right after the teleportation process stopped and she reoriented herself, which didn't take as long as before.

"How rude. Where are your manners? Don't you know that you have to say 'please' when you ask for something?" Rouge played around with a mischievous smile.

"I don't have time to waste with this nonsense. Give me that Sol Emerald," Blaze continued to demand. Luster jumped in.

"Hey now, Blaze. We really shouldn't ask for stuff like that. I was always told that when I was younger. You don't get anything that way, so you should ask nicely," he advised. "Anyway, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, what are you guys doing? Do you need the Sol Emeralds for something?"

Shadow remained silent. Rouge looked over to him, expecting him to take the reigns of the conversation, but sighed when she realised nothing was going to come out of him. She had a feeling she knew why he was like this.

" _Did that festival really tick you off this much, Shadow…?_ " Rouge wondered before answering Luster's query. "G.U.N's orders. They detected what seemed like seven batches of Chaos Energy suddenly appearing all over Earth and Mobius. Now we see that these Sol Emeralds are the cause. As much as I want to keep this for myself, we'll have to take it back to HQ."

Blaze was about to interject, but to her surprise, Luster carried on speaking. "But Blaze needs it. She needs 'em all. Her world's gonna die without 'em, so they're really important to her. They're also having some effect on our world, so it might die too if she doesn't get the emeralds fast enough. Are you gonna stop us from doin' that?"

"We're not letting you have this," Shadow finally spoke up, his voice low and murred by some kind of vexation. "If you two are going to get in the way of our mission, then we'll simply beat you aside."

"New sub-objective added: defeat Luster the Cat and his new feline meatbag friend," Omega also started to speak. "I love this part."

"Well then, there you have it. There's our response…" Rouge grinned. "What's yours?"

Blaze frowned. Instead of answering with words, she instead ignited flames in the palm of her hands. Luster was apprehensive about the situation, even more so when he glanced at Shadow, who had been continually staring at the turquoise-furred cat with a hateful look. Blaze looked over and noticed Luster's hesitation.

"Are these people your friends?" she wondered.

"Uh, yeah, kinda...I don't get why they wanna fight us," Luster sounded out his doubts.

Before he could explain his thoughts any further, Shadow used Chaos Control to warp in front of the male cat. He then struck his potential opponent with a sharp kick, knocking him back about a metre and sending him to the ground, back first.

"We're fighting. Get over it," Shadow figuratively spat.

"But why…" Luster was more confused than anything. He evaded a Chaos Spear by rolling out of the way, then got back on his feet. "Alright, I'll fight you, Shadow. I don't get why, but sure. I gotta beat you, get that emerald and find the others so I can help out Blaze."

The otherworldly cat in question appreciated Luster's assistance. She was initially concerned when Shadow kicked him away, but was now facing down her pair of opponents in Rouge and Omega.

And then a fight broke out.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 2 (Sword Art Online II, Startear, English) -**

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _If I had the chance to make a wish_

 _I wouldn't make sadness last so long_

 _I've turned away at every time, looking at my past I leave a tear_

 _Since then I've hid all of the scars_

 _That I've got, yet I will, remain here_

 _I'll easily bear everything that comes right out, of those concealed memories_

 _What is this thing that they call love?_

 _Is it something I'm far above?_

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _Stronger than I've ever been before_

 _To overcome the darkness on my own, to leave it all, no more_

 _And if I were to sink, I'd just climb up, out of the hole I dug myself into_

 _Away from those depths, that I wouldn't be able to escape from_

 _I'll never be unable to call any of you because_

 _The silver lining's with me too_


	15. Fiery Fight

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Dr. Eggman, evil genius and frequent attacker of Mobius as well as Earth, had a little chat with his brand new comrade-in-arms. This new scientist could have been easily misconstrued as a doppelganger of Eggman's, but Eggman Nega certainly was not. He arrived in Eggman's dimension at the same time as the Sol Emeralds and Blaze. Almost immediately after that did he team up with his fellow egg-themed counterpart. With their chat, regular Eggman revealed his plans to his new friend. A plan that would take Sonic, Blaze and the others' plucky, heroic nature into consideration. Thus, a plan that'd never fail. Eggman and Eggman Nega revelled in its sheer brilliance.

Meanwhile, Luster used Instant Transmission to bring Blaze over to the site of the next Sol Emerald: Water Palace. Or, rather, Windmill Isle. Either of the two. Anyway, Blaze was somewhat ticked off with Luster's forwardness and inconsiderate nature, but her fears were brushed aside when she discovered the green Sol Emerald. Luster then asked to tag along so he could help Blaze with her search. She was still apprehensive about the idea, though after seeing the usefulness of the Instant Transmission technique firsthand, she accepted the turquoise cat's help. Both felines then teleported to the next emerald.

Which just so happened to be inside Toy Kingdom, secured in the grasp of Team Dark. Naturally, Luster and Blaze asked to have the dark blue Sol Emerald. G.U.N needed the emerald for some reason however, so Team Dark couldn't comply. Shadow seemed to have some business with Luster anyway. Of course, a fight started between the pair of groups.

We now come back to right after we left off!

 _October 15th 1991 - 3:10 PM_

 _Toy Kingdom_

Amongst the multi-coloured, child infested regions of the fun paradise known as Toy Kingdom, a heated battle was making itself known to the residents, visitors and staff members. Luster was fighting off the brutal offensive from Shadow, while Blaze had no option but to deal with Rouge and Omega at the same time. It didn't seem as if either side possessed a good shot at victory despite the presence of Sol Emeralds and a Chaos Emerald.

Shadow was making good use of that chaotic gem. His green jewel was granting him access to his infamous and well-known techniques, such as the Chaos Spear and Chaos Control. However, Luster was easily able to counter the spears with his own Ki spheres and the teleportation side of Chaos Control was matched by Afterimage. He was lucky that Shadow wasn't resorting to using the emerald's power...else the cat be downed in a second.

With Blaze's battle, she was doing well. Omega's seemingly endless onslaught of missiles, machine guns and other such projectiles didn't really hold a candle to Blaze's walls of fire. Rouge's direct approaches were an issue for the feline. Sometimes they even distracted her long enough for Omega to get some shots in. But her own fiery techniques were enough to prevent her from losing immediately. Nothing here was one sided.

"Shadow! Do we really have to fight? We aren't enemies!" Luster called out as he blocked some kicks and punches from the black hedgehog.

"We might not be enemies, but you have given me a great deal of grief. I can't let that go," Shadow returned, able to speak through his attacks.

"What did I do?" Luster asked, utterly confused.

"Don't you remember?" Shadow wondered. "No matter. I know it happened, so your ignorance won't deter me. For the sake of it, I'll tell you what happened. Do you remember the Festival of the Sun?"

"Yeah...I was supposed to help guard Elise, but then a whole buncha timeline stuff went down around that. It'd take too long to explain. What about that festival?" Luster remembered.

"Indeed. You _were_ supposed to guard Princess Elise. But you didn't appear. You never showed up. Somehow, someway, you'd disappeared. Not even your friends knew where you went," Shadow recounted. "And then I was chosen to guard the princess in place of you."

"Oh yeah, the others told me 'bout that. They said it was pretty funny," Luster smiled.

Shadow frowned, even grunting angrily. "It was NOT funny. It wasn't amusing in the slightest."

Luster tilted his head in confusion. Thanks to Shenron having restored his memories of the erased timeline, he knew that the Festival of the Sun was a simple affair. All he had to do was to stand on one of the gondolas next to the princess and fight off any potential assailants...which did end up occurring. But there was nothing there that would warrant such behaviour from Shadow…

"What?" Luster simply questioned.

"There were dancers. And lots of glitter and confetti. I was standing in between those dancers along with the ones who blew the small decorative things. Most of it got onto me…" Shadow's frown intensified as he recalled such a memory. "...then everyone laughed. As far as I could see, all the residents of Soleanna were laughing right at me. Even some of the dancers joined in on this. As you might be able to imagine, I despised this. It was incredibly embarrassing…!"

Luster's eyes widened. Perhaps it wasn't so funny after all.

"I don't know what happened that caused you to disappear in the way you did. Frankly, I don't even care. The fact is that your disappearance caused such a thing to happen to me...I will repay your carelessness in full!"

Shadow relaunched his offensive, his mental state bolstered by a surge of vengeful confidence. Luster wasn't quite ready for the immense new strength behind his opponent's strikes. He received them in their fullest of force.

"All of those people laughing at me...overwhelming humiliation...thousands more watching from a distance…" Shadow said through a barrage of kicks delivered at each point he made. "I'll finish you!"

Luster tried his best to block these attacks, but one last forceful stabbing kick sent him flying into a building, almost bringing it down upon him in the process. All the residents and visitors nearby ran away as soon as the impact was made.

Just as the cat was pushing himself out of the ensuing rubble, Shadow walked through the smoke without a care in the world. He stared down at the light blue Mobian, his hateful eyes that seeing into the younger one's soul.

"I promise you...revenge!"

Luster gulped.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 2 (Martian Successor Nadesico, You Get to Burning, English) -**

 _Enduring embarrassment, you went ahead and kicked a stone_

 _But bouncing back, it might become a diamond_

 _Dreams you get right away aren't even dreams, I hope you know_

 _Still I believe you'll get them soon, so just go_

 _Don't you give in, I believe in you_

 _If you ever, wanna cry_

 _I'll be there and I'll realise that is my cue_

 _You get to burning_

 _Stand proudly, since it is just who you are_

 _Those days when you're alright are pieces of your dream, flown far_

 _You get to burning_

 _Gotta pick up, those lost pieces_

 _And as you do that, I see that, you are…_

 _Going your days, grow up!_

* * *

Back with the two-pronged fight, Luster was still busy fighting off Shadow's vengeful strikes. His kicks, punches and Chaos Powers were a little stronger than before, meaning Luster needed to put even more effort in defending. Thanks to Shadow's immense speed advantage, the rushdown fighting style the cat developed in Conton City was proving to be ineffective. He still occassionally tried to get into it by firing some quick energy spheres to disrupt Shadow's flow.

This kind of worked. It was enough to allow Luster a few good hits, but it was never enough to really get the better of the Ultimate Lifeform. After blasting him with a generic energy wave that proceeded a fisticuff barrage, Luster leapt away from his darker furred foe and readied one of his favourite techniques.

"Kame…" he began to chant. Shadow quickly reoriented himself from Luster's earlier attack. He was familiar with this move and realised something needed to be done about it. "Hame…"

Shadow waited. He already had a plan.

"Ha!"

The blue wave of turtle destruction was fired at its target. Shadow continued to stand there, seemingly ready to take the beam dead-on. But at the last second, he snapped his fingers, using Chaos Control to warp what had been sent his way elsewhere. Luster was confused by this, thus the rest of his Kamehameha dissipated. This was the opening Shadow needed to regain his earlier offensive.

"How pathetic…" Shadow muttered as he rushed in, aiming a kick for Luster's head.

It missed, as the turquoise cat ducked. He launched a Ki sphere while his head's position was low, but Shadow simply jumped to avoid it and used a Homing Attack in retaliation. Luster blocked it, grabbed Shadow by the leg as he uncurled from his ball form and threw him down the pink green street, where he easily reoriented himself in mid air and landed with a slide.

"Shadow...I really don't wanna do this," Luster went back to convincing.

"But we're doing it. I will not let you get away," Shadow shook off the attempt and fought again.

He dashed back towards Luster, readying one of his many Chaos Powers along the way. The black and red Mobian jumped. While in mid air, he extended his hand out, it latching onto Luster's head when he got close.

"Chaos…" Shadow initiated the explosive technique. "Blast!"

An explosion. A red, Chaos Energy-powered explosion happened. It tore through the ground and some of the surrounding buildings' outwards structures, leaving an almost barren space in its wake. Shadow was immune to his own move, but Luster wasn't. And he was in the centre of it.

Once all the smoke dissipated, Luster was nowhere to be seen. Shadow was the only one standing in the rough, rocky mess that he'd created, looking all around for any sign of his opponent.

" _He got away. No doubt because of that air pressure he used right before I released my blast and one of his teleportation techniques,_ " Shadow internally commented as he looked around. " _Where is he?_ "

As he was simply standing there, some agile, pink purple energy beams came his way. He dodged every single one, despite them coming from all kinds of angles. Shadow couldn't quite pinpoint their source because of this. However, out from a side alleyway, came Luster, completely unharmed from the earlier Chaos Blast. He was readying a punch. Shadow turned around and was prepared to block it, but instead, Luster did something unexpected.

"Solar Flare!" he yelled, stretching out his fingers and putting his hands close to his face very quickly. This created an incredibly intense amount of light. It was enough to blind Shadow for a moment. That moment was all Luster needed.

He kicked Shadow into the air and threw multiple energy spheres his way. At this point, Shadow regained control of himself as well as his sight. He was using his jet-powered shoes to suspend his position in the air. To say the least, the hedgehog was very confused as to what the cat was doing.

" _Why isn't he aiming those energy blasts at me? Unless…_ " he noticed, quickly turning around to see that he was completely surrounded by all the spheres that Luster had been throwing. " _What?!_ "

"Hellzone Grenade!" Luster shouted, hot-blood circulating through his very being.

The cat commanded his energy spheres to begin crashing into Shadow, who made a very valiant effort to dodge them. However, when one sphere made contact, others quickly piled onto him, dealing a large amount of damage collectively.

When it subsided, Shadow was certainly hurt by the technique, but was nowhere near close to being downed. He lowered himself to the ground.

"Hmph. I'll give you some credit. That was unexpected," Shadow commented.

"Thanks!" Luster smiled. " _Finally got to use those last two techniques I got from Conton City in a real fight! That felt awesome._ "

"But don't start getting too full of yourself. Your game ends here."

Shadow siphoned more energy from his Chaos Emerald and began charging a massive, thick red aura around himself. His black fur was seemingly gone, replaced entirely by that dark red and imposing aura.

"Chaos Boost!" he yelled upon activation.

Luster grinned. "Kaioken!"

Now he was surrounded in a red aura, though this one was nowhere near as thick. The redness simply replaced his original white Ki aura while the small transformation doubled his strength, speed and durability. Though knowing Shadow...a stronger Kaioken might've been needed.

"You're not the only one with a move like that, Shadow!"

"That doesn't matter. While I am curious as to why our techniques are so similar, I don't care that much. I won't even let you get the chance to show me what you can do with yours!"

Luster - enhanced with the base level of Kaioken - engaged Shadow, who was empowered with Chaos Boost. The two Mobians clashed, their red auras colliding with intensity. From then on, they let their fists do the talkin'.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Toy Kingdom, Blaze was still dealing with Rouge and Omega. Her tactics from earlier were still working well. Though with the tag team moves her enemies were employing, it was only a matter of time before she'd take more damage than she could handle.

"What's wrong? Can't you handle the pressure?" Rouge teased. "Are we too much for you?"

"Get out of my way...I don't want to hurt any innocent people!" Blaze growled, prematurely blowing up some of Omega's bombs. "Just give me the Sol Emerald and I'll be on my way!"

"No can do," Rouge shook her head, playing around with the dark blue gem in her hand. "It's a good thing Shadow gave this to me just before the fight. With the way he's going, he probably would've dropped it, even if it was in his Hammerspace...he can definitely get carried away sometimes."

"Just give it to me! You can avoid this entire fight if you just hand it over!" Blaze tried to convince, avoiding more fire from E-123.

"Again, no can do. Orders are important, after all. Besides, if Shadow really wants to fight, who am I to deny that? I can say his reasons are petty, though. He really needs to get over it…" the bat sighed. "Oh well. I suppose we'll keep this up until he's ready to go. It shouldn't take much longer."

"What do you mean?" Blaze narrowed her eyes, both suspicious and confused simultaneously.

"I have analysed the feline meatbag's strength. The other one, not you," Omega spoke. "It does not compare to Shadow's. He possesses a Chaos Emerald. Luster does not. It should be a massacre."

"What...you'd ally yourself with someone who'd hurt someone else...for some petty reason?!" Blaze exclaimed, her voice raising. "I can't forgive that!"

She felt some power seeping into her. Confused, she shrugged it off and prepared to unleash the most powerful blast of fire she knew she could muster. It ended up being way more powerful than that. Way more powerful than she could've ever known.

A huge, almost volcanic explosion of fire emerged from the otherwordly cat. And it was directed solely at Rouge and Omega. They both tried to evade and defend the attack, respectively, but it was useless. The full force of Blaze's suped-up strike engulfed them. Both were down for the count, though not unconscious/powered down.

"H-how...how did I do that?!" Blaze realised, fully aware of what she'd done. She pulled out her three Sol Emeralds and stared at them for a moment. " _Did these things give me power? But how…how is that even possible?_ "

Rouge struggled to stand back up, as did Omega, who chose the easy way out. He remained on the ground, seemingly entranced by something. Rouge looked over in confusion and curiosity.

"Such firepower…" the robot remarked. Rouge ignored him.

"Wow...I guess you got us, huh?" Rouge was able to say, despite her injuries. "Looks like we're in no condition to fight...I don't even know what's wrong with Omega…"

She looked over to the E-Series machine once more, who still seemed entranced. Blaze remained bewildered with herself, but she was calm enough to put her Sol Emeralds back into her Hammerspace and listen.

"Anyway...as I said earlier, Shadow's reasons for wanting to fight are pretty petty...I mean, he got some confetti on him, who cares? It's not like he'll be remembered for that or anything," Rouge revealed some more. "I don't share his sentiments. Not one bit. And honestly...I've never cared much for orders. We'll just say that we encountered some resistance."

"What are you saying?" Blaze wondered.

"Here," Rouge pulled out the dark blue Sol Emerald and offered it to the cat. "There's prettier gems in the world for me to get. I didn't think you were this serious about it...if you said something earlier, we probably could've avoided this whole thing."

"If you recongise that, why didn't you give this to me when I asked?"

"What, and miss out on all the fun? Sorry, I'm a party girl. A quick exchange like that isn't gonna fly."

Blaze didn't have anything to say to that. She stared at the Sol Emerald with confusion clouding her reason, but a small mental push from Rouge was enough for her to get over it. As he was about to raise her hand to grab the gem...a robot came out of nowhere and stole it out of Rouge's open palm.

"What?!" Blaze said upon realising the emerald was gone. She and Rouge turned around to find a light blue robot with menacing dark red eyes and a familiar, long, metallic spike amongst two shorter ones on the back of its head. "What's this?! Is this thing yours?"

"No, I'm not even sure I know what this is…" Rouge answered defensively. "Almost looks like that Luster kid…"

Before the two girls could do anything about it, the robot teleported away with the Sol Emerald in its grasp. The organics stared at each other in great confusion.

"I've never seen anything like that before...well, I've seen machines before, but you know what I mean," Blaze commented. "It seems someone else wants the Sol Emeralds."

"It's probably one of Eggman's toys," Rouge guessed.

"Eggman? Which one?"

Rouge blinked. "Excuse me? There's only one Eggman."

"No, there's two. Eggman and Eggman Nega. The latter is from my world. I assume he's the reason why the Sol Emeralds are even here to begin with," Blaze informed the bat.

"Huh. This is news. Guess that's another thing I have to report back to base...oh, speaking of base, we should probably start heading there. Where did that Shadow go…"

As if on cue, the Chaos Boost filled Shadow appeared in the open area where Blaze, Rouge and Omega were. Kaioken Luster soon arrived on the scene as well, having dealt a blow with a great deal of knockback to the Ultimate Lifeform. Shadow and Luster were both on the ground. The latter was panting, the other was not. Luster's Kaioken was also waning and on the flip side, the Chaos Boost didn't seem like it was going to end any time soon. The battle seemed to be drawing to its close.

"Shadow! What are you doing?!" Rouge demanded to know, rushing over to the now dark red hedgehog. "Did you really have to go this far?"

"I wanted to show him the full extent of my revenge...this is only way of doing so," Shadow disclosed to his comrade. "Out of my way. I'll finish this off."

"Fine, but it's useless. The Sol Emerald was stolen anyway," Rouge informed him.

"What?" Luster wondered. "Who stole it?"

Shadow glared as his desires were ignored in favour of something he didn't really care about.

"Well, it was a robot who looked just like you. Do you know anything about that?" Rouge asked the turquoise cat.

"Yeah...that's gotta be Metal Me," Luster answered. "Uh, Metal Luster. I haven't seen him in a while…"

"There's a robot that looks like you?" Blaze questioned, more curious than anything, which is appropriate if you think about it a little. "And this Eggman person built it?"

"Uh-huh. He made it a while ago," Luster nodded in confirmation. "Eggman once captured me, which let him steal my DNA or whatever. He used that to make Metal Luster. I don't really get why, though...why not a Metal Shadow or Metal Knuckles? Pretty sure those guys're stronger than me…"

Shadow was taken aback slightly. "You think I'm stronger than you? Do you not have confidence in yourself?"

"I am pretty confident with myself. It's just that I know I'd never beat you," Luster responded. " _Jeez, all these questions...wonder how many more I gotta answer._ "

This surprised Shadow again. He hadn't been expecting such praise from the Mobian who humiliated him so. The Ultimate Lifeform considered these words and began thinking after powering down his Chaos Boost. Now he was calm.

"Okay, that's all well and good, but how are we gonna find this Metal Luster? No doubt he's gone wherever Eggman is," Rouge assumed. "G.U.N have reported the appearence of a space station...in space, obviously. I guess he must be there."

"So space is our next destination?" Blaze asked, momentarily steeling herself. "What about the remaining Sol Emeralds? Can't you detect any more, Luster?"

Luster shook his head. "Sorry, I can't. Eggman's also made this Anti Ki Barrier thing that prevents me from sensin' anything that's inside of it. He's used it before. I can't even use Instant Transmission to get 'round it…"

"That must be where the last few Sol Emeralds are. G.U.N have also been unable to detect the signals of some of the Chaos Emeralds, so those must be up there as well," Rouge added.

"But how are we even going to get to that space station?" Blaze questioned.

"We could use the Tornado," Luster quickly scanned the world's Ki signatures. "Sonic and Tails are back home at the mansion, so we could ask them to help. They're really good and cool Mobians. They'll help us, Blaze."

" _I hope these'll be the last people we involve on this mission…_ " Blaze wished internally. "Fine. If they'll be of use, then I'll let them help. Wait, can't you just fly up there?"

"No way. Space is cold," Luster shuddered at the thought.

Blaze sighed. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. I suppose you'll want to use your technique to bring us all to whoever Sonic and Tails are."

"Yep. Rouge, Shadow, you guys wanna come?" Luster offered.

Rouge considered this. As she was thinking, she'd noticed Shadow as still lost in thought, so she snapped him back to reality with a literal snap of her fingers. Luster slightly grinned at this comical display.

"I guess we can come. Those two boys probably have some good intel if they've been around," the bat answered. She looked over to her hedgehog comrade. "You alright with that?"

"No. I refuse," Shadow strongly denied. He pulled out his Chaos Emerald and threw it to Rouge, who caught it with ease. "Make sure you give that to Sonic. He'll make good use of it if he's going to fight Eggman, which I assume he'll do."

"But how're you gonna get back to HQ?" Rouge was curious about this decision.

"I'll get there."

Rouge sighed. "Alright, no free ride for you, I guess. Omega, make sure he...oh for Chaos' sake...OMEGA!"

This brought E-123 back to reality. He stood back up and awaited further instructions.

"Yes?" the robot asked.

"Make sure Shadow doesn't get into any trouble. He's kinda grouchy at the moment," Rouge instructed him as she and Blaze held onto one of Luster's shoulders each, while he prepared Instant Transmission.

"Affirmative. Edgy Shadow Watch subroutine, on. You'd best behave yourself, Shadow," Omega began to watch over the black and red hedgehog like an overbearing father, much to Shadow's chagrin. Rouge, Luster and even Blaze smiled at this sight.

Speaking of those three, the Instant Transmission was just about ready. They teleported away, aiming to pick Sonic and Tails' brains for information - should they have any. Either way, the Eggmen were their next target.

Shame they weren't aware for what was in store for them.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 2 (Sword Art Online II, Startear, English) -**

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _If I had the chance to make a wish_

 _I wouldn't make sadness last so long_

 _I've turned away at every time, looking at my past I leave a tear_

 _Since then I've hid all of the scars_

 _That I've got, yet I will, remain here_

 _I'll easily bear everything that comes right out, of those concealed memories_

 _What is this thing that they call love?_

 _Is it something I'm far above?_

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _Stronger than I've ever been before_

 _To overcome the darkness on my own, to leave it all, no more_

 _And if I were to sink, I'd just climb up, out of the hole I dug myself into_

 _Away from those depths, that I wouldn't be able to escape from_

 _I'll never be unable to call any of you because_

 _The silver lining's with me too_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ **Wow, this one was pretty long. I hope you enjoyed the length because next time, we'll be ending the Sonic Rush adaption. Therefore, next chapter will probably be even longer than this. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, see you all then!**


	16. This is What You Need

_Last time, on Luster the Cat…_

Luster and Blaze's fight with Team Dark went down. It caused quite the ruckus amongst the child-friendly and colourful environment of Toy Kingdom. Shadow, for some reason, mainly targeted Luster, while Blaze was forced to deal with Rouge as well as E-123 Omega. However, Shadow's reasoning was soon revealed.

Turns out that when Luster disappeared on the night before the Festival of the Sun back in Soleanna (due to the whole ordeal with Solaris in the now-erased timeline), Shadow had no choice but to take the cat's place. As a side effect of the timeline changing shenanigans, the festival became more of a joyous, celebratory occasion rather than the significant remembrance kind of thing that it had in the erased timeline. This meant glitter. And confetti. All sorts of things like that. Things that Shadow did not agree with.

Many of it fell onto him, which resulted in public humiliation of the highest order. Thousands upon thousands of people and Mobians alike had been viewing the event. He was the centre of all their humiliating attention. Thus, Shadow swore revenge on the one who'd inflicted him such an embarrassment...that meant targeting Luster. From then on, in the fight, Luster had to use his newfound techniques from Conton City beside his older ones to deal with a very aggressive Shadow the Hedgehog.

As this was occurring, Blaze's pyrokinetic attacks were just the thing to counter Omega's missiles, explosives and other such weapons. But Rouge was proving to be an annoyance for the otherworldly feline. Her close range strikes interrupted the fire user's flow, allowing the E-Series robot to get in a few good hits. It seemed as if she was fighting a losing battle.

But then, with a surge of irritation, Blaze's power somehow increased immensely! She was beginning to borrow energy from her Sol Emeralds, yet didn't know how. Blaze used all that power to completely overwhelm the pair of G.U.N members. That ended their fight right there and then.

After having witnessed Blaze's amazing strength (and after being at the centre of a fiery assault befitting of that strength), Rouge surrendered. Omega was dazzled with such firepower. He was essentially knocked out. Though Rouge was prepared to hand over the Sol Emerald her group discovered earlier.

That was when Metal Luster came out of nowhere and stole it while the gem was in mid air. The robot stalled for a minute to ensure the organics could register just who the thief was, then disappeared. This sudden interference caused any hostilities between the two teams to cease, despite Shadow still being somewhat miffed about the festival.

Once he and Luster were informed about the situation, which in turn succeeded the end of their fight, the black hedgehog passed over his Chaos Emerald so that it could be given to Sonic. He knew that the blue one would make better use of it. Shadow and Omega began to make their way back to the G.U.N headquarters in Station Square, while Luster took Rouge and Blaze to the Thorndyke Mansion, as the speedy hero in question was finally there.

We now come back to immediately after we left off!

 _October 15th 1991 - 3:35 PM_

 _Thorndyke Mansion, Garage_

Through the convenient power of Instant Transmission, Luster, Rouge and Blaze teleported straight to the mansion owned by the Thorndyke family. Otherwise known as the place where Luster and the others sleep. More specifically, they'd warped directly into the spacious garage. Sonic, Tails, Chris' grandfather Chuck as well as Christopher himself were all clumped together. Apparently they were having some kind of conversation.

"I've gotta say, this teleport move of yours is definitely helpful," Rouge commented to the turquoise cat once the warp finished. "I could get used to it."

And that's when the aforementioned four (afourmentioned?) realised what was going on.

"Oh hey, Luster. What's up…" Sonic greeted his pal before noticing the presence of a certain other cat. "Whoa, the heck? What's she doing here?"

"Huh? What?" Luster turned his head between Sonic and Blaze to make sure of exactly who the hedgehog was staring at. She was returning Sonic's distrusting gaze with a serious look of her own. "You know Blaze?"

"That's her name, huh? Guess that makes sense, what with all the fire," Sonic remarked. "But yeah, Tails and I met her earlier in Leaf Storm. We were bustin' up one of Eggman's mechs when a weird gem fell out of it after the fact. Before we got a chance to check it out, this girl here snatched it and ran off. Totally suspicious if ya ask me."

"Suspicious? I was doing what I needed to do. I don't need you, or anyone else, to judge me on how I go about it," Blaze snapped back.

"Sure, whatever. I bet what you needed to do was somethin' evil, wasn't it? Maybe you're gatherin' up those things for some kinda cliche world domination scheme. And if that's true…" Sonic then turned to Luster. "The heck are you doin' with her?"

Luster had a look of disbelief on his face. "What? No, Sonic, Blaze isn't bad. She's a really good Mobian. Or, uh, not a Mobian, since she's not from Mobius...uh, what are you, Blaze?"

"It doesn't matter. If these people here aren't going to help us, then we should stop wasting our time and get to that space station some other way," Blaze shook her head in irritation.

Sonic and Tails shared a glance of confusion.

"Space station? You mean you're going to fight the Eggmen as well?" Tails interrupted the short-lived silence.

"Why wouldn't I? They've got the Sol Emeralds I need. Seems like a simple solution to me," Blaze answered, her arms crossed. "Luster told me that you two could be of some help. As I said, if that's not the case, then we'll find some other way up there. A snag such as this won't stop me."

"Heh. We've sure had some experience goin' up into space. But why should we bring you? Seems like a good way to screw us all over to me," Sonic argued, a small frown on his face.

"Was that a…" Blaze was about to say whilst twitching ever so slightly, before being interrupted by Luster, who was holding his arms out between the cat and hedgehog to prevent them from engaging each other in some kind of fight.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't do this, guys, come on," he strongly requested. "Sonic, Blaze isn't bad at all. She comes from a different universe. Somehow, her Sol Emeralds and her enemy, Eggman Nega, came over here and because of that, both of our worlds might end. Blaze wants to stop that. So she's not doin' anything bad."

"Huh. Is that so…" Sonic nodded and thought for some time. "I guess if you trust her, she can't be that bad. But I'm gonna keep my eye on her. Can't be too sure."

"That's okay," Luster nodded. "Are we just gonna take the X-Tornado?"

Tails piped up.

"Oh yeah, we are. Chuck and I had to tune it up a little since it's going into space. I can't even remember the last time we used this guy for that," the fox answered. "Anyway, it's about good to go."

Rouge, who'd been silent this entire time, turned her attention to the evolved Tornado plane. Her intrigued gazes and murmurs were beginning to get noticeable enough. The room's other residents turned around with confused stares.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked the bat.

"Oh, I'm glad someone finally noticed me here," Rouge joked around. "But seriously, this thing really is impressive. This is my first time really seeing it up close. Between you guys and me, this is way better than anything G.U.N's come up with."

"Uh...thanks?" Tails responded, more confused than anything. "Wait, why are you even here, Rouge? You came with Luster, right?"

"I sure did, foxy. I'm only here to get intel. Y'know, I imagine you boys have done some adventuring. You've probably fought those two Eggman...Egg _men_. Therefore, you probably know something about what's going on. Like their plans, why the Sol Emeralds are here, that kind of thing," Rouge responded. "So, got anything?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. The Eggmen seem to be gathering both sets of emeralds, but they've been weirdly careless with them. There's also the fact that we can't detect the location of some of those gems. I think they're up to something," Tails suggested.

"Apart from the usual stuff Egghead would be doin'," added Sonic.

Tails nodded. "Yeah, of course. I do have a theory, though…"

"What kind of theory, Tails?" Chuck wondered, finally getting a word in.

"Well," the twin-tailed fox pondered for a moment, as if he was quickly checking to see if his theory made sense. "Y'know how there's the Sol Emeralds and the Chaos Emeralds, right? And how there's Eggman and Eggman Nega? Well, I think that the universe they come from - Blaze's dimension - and ours, are both parallel universes for each other."

"What makes you say that?" Blaze asked, now curious.

"Like I said, the Sol Emeralds and the Chaos Emeralds are very similar to one another. Same with Eggman and Eggman Nega. I mean, their names are literally one word off from being exactly the same. There's no way these similarities are a coincidence," Tails explained. "Considering the positions you guys have, I wouldn't be surprised if you and Sonic are parallel counterparts."

Surprised, Sonic and Blaze glanced at each other before resuming their mutual distrust.

"No way," the hedgehog commented.

"Impossible," the cat also commented.

Tails sighed. "Alright, okay, maybe not. Chuck and I need to get back to work. Sorry we couldn't really help with your intel, Rouge."

"Eh, that's fine. Shadow's probably already told the top brass about the situation. If he isn't sulking in some random zone…" the white bat sighed.

"Oh yeah, where is Shadow, by the way?" Chris wondered aloud.

"We had...a little encounter. Shadow was mad about something petty and I went along with it because I thought it'd get fun. Turns out he was taking it a little too far…" Rouge vaguely recounted. "He should be over it eventually, if not already."

"Heh. That does sound like a Shadow thing to do," Sonic remarked in his usual manner.

"Actually, you've just reminded me of something, Big Blue. Here," the bat hovered over to the hedgehog and handed over the same Chaos Emerald that was given to her earlier. "Shadow figured you'd end up fighting Eggman, so he wanted me to give you this. I'd like to keep it for myself, but Shadow's right. You'd be better off with it...for now."

"Oh, uh, sure. Tell him I said thanks," Sonic pocket dimensioned the mystical green jewel. "We've already got two of 'em. Guess we got three now. Those Eggheads must have the last ones."

"Indeed. That's why it's imperative we finish these checks. It won't take much longer…" Chuck was saying, before a certain something distracted everyone.

At this point, Cream the Rabbit walked into the garage, alongside her usual Chao companion Cheese. She was carrying a tray of four fancy looking tea mugs, a teapot, some milk and some sugar. Her face was plastered with happiness as she carefully balanced all the elements on the tray.

"Mr. Chuck, I got all the tea you wanted…!" she called out during her entrance to the room. She was stopped in her tracks when she noticed the presence of Luster. "Oh! Luster, you're back! Would you like me to get a mug for you, too?"

"Yeah, that'd be awesome!" Luster smiled in addition to his response. "Hey, Blaze, you want some as well?"

"Hmm?" Cream turned her head slightly, finding herself surprised when she realised Blaze was in the room as well. "Oh, who are you? I've never met you before. Do you want some tea, miss?"

"I, uh…" Blaze was taken aback. " _This girl...she's very forward. She's not cautious at all. Isn't she the least bit wary of me?_ "

"Miss?" the young rabbit snapped Blaze out of her thoughts.

"Oh. Well, uh...sure?"

Cream's smile intensified. "Yay! I'll go get you two some more mugs, okay? Miss Rouge, would you like one too?"

"No thanks, kid. I like coffee more," Rouge replied, a small smirk creeping onto her face as a vivid memory returned to her momentarily.

"Okay! I'll be back with two more mugs!" Cream exclaimed. She turned her attention back to the one person in the room she didn't know. "What's your name, Miss?"

"Blaze," was the fiery feline's response.

"Wow, Blaze...that's a really nice name! I like it a lot!" complimented Cream. "I'm Cream! And this is my Chao friend, Cheese!"

The small, fairy-esque being simply spoke its species name, triggering some kind of response within the otherworldly cat.

" _How...cute,_ " Blaze faintly smiled.

Blaze secretly enjoyed Cream and Cheese's presence. Then they departed, prompting Blaze to return to her somewhat stoic self. Luckily, it didn't seem as if anyone noticed her response to the small Mobian and Chao combo, which she internally sighed in relief for.

"Back to the topic at hand, Tails and I only need to do a few more finishing touches. It'll only be a matter of minutes," Chuck stated between sips of tea. "But it's always good to have a break every now and then. You musn't let yourself be focused on one thing for too long. Especially in my old age…"

"So you're just going to wait while the doctors have time to work on whatever vile scheme they have?" Blaze accusingly retorted back at the old scientist.

"It's not like we have any other choice. Machines require maintenance, you know," Chuck frowned.

The pyrokinetic grunted in response. "Then I guess I'll find a faster way up there. I can't wait any longer."

"Do you even have a method of getting to space?" Chuck asked, half-curiously, half-doubtfully.

"Well, no, but…" Blaze struggled to find the words she wanted.

"Exactly. Sometimes in life, you just need to wait. This is one of those times," the elder advised. "Relax. Wait and good things will come to you."

Blaze was silent. She was also irritated at her inability to do what she needed on her own, thus she began to lean on the wall, impatiently awaiting for things to get a move on. Luster was concerned for his new friend. He even checked up on her a few times, but in every instance of this, the fiery one rejected any sort of meaningful conversation. It seemed to everyone that she wasn't in the mood to speak - this didn't help Sonic's suspicions. Cream later returned with more tea mugs with which Luster and Blaze could have their own tea from. Blaze's tensions were eased somewhat as the hot drink warmed her insides. As much as they could. Y'know, with the pyrokinetic stuff and everything...

After that, more waiting awaited. Rouge ended up leaving, having already received all the information she could get. Before long, the X-Tornado was finally ready to go. Tails and Luster took the seats, while Sonic went to his seat on top of the plane. For some reason, Blaze was hesitant, but with support from Cream and Luster, she eventually climbed in. And then the plane took off into space, aiming for that gigantic space fortress. The final battle for the safety of both worlds soon began.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Opening 2 (Martian Successor Nadesico, You Get to Burning, English) -**

 _Enduring embarrassment, you went ahead and kicked a stone_

 _But bouncing back, it might become a diamond_

 _Dreams you get right away aren't even dreams, I hope you know_

 _Still I believe you'll get them soon, so just go_

 _Don't you give in, I believe in you_

 _If you ever, wanna cry_

 _I'll be there and I'll realise that is my cue_

 _You get to burning_

 _Stand proudly, since it is just who you are_

 _Those days when you're alright are pieces of your dream, flown far_

 _You get to burning_

 _Gotta pick up, those lost pieces_

 _And as you do that, I see that, you are…_

 _Going your days, grow up!_

* * *

The trip to the Eggmen's base of operations was pretty uneventful. Sonic, Tails and Luster were used to this sort of thing, so they remained calm, even as the temperature began to drop. Despite being outside in the empty vacuum, Sonic was being warmed by the X-Tornado, therefore, no risk of freezing existed.

But while they were calm, Blaze was not. Not wholly calm, that is. She wasn't freaking out or anything. Though, internally, she had been afraid of something for the entirety of the trip. Luster kept looking behind him to check on the fellow feline. Blaze hadn't allowed a single iota of her fear show on her face. Every time he checked, Luster wished he could read minds.

Eventually, the group made it to the space base. Tails was able to conveniently park the X-Tornado in some kind of docking bay. Once the landing had been made, Blaze left the plane.

"I see that this hasn't been a waste of time, after all…thank you, Tails," the cat thanked the Mobian. "But this is where I must part ways with you three. This is something only I can do. It's something I must do."

"Whoa, whoa, the heck ya talkin' about? We've been taking care of our Eggman for ages. You think we can't take on two of 'em or something?" Sonic doubtfully asked.

"It's…" Blaze tried to respond, before realising she didn't have a good response to begin with. "No, I must do this alone. I've always done this alone. My curse…"

"Uh, what?" Sonic figuratively raised an eyebrow.

"Are you cursed, Blaze?" Luster wondered, his concern peaking.

Blaze remained silent for a second. She sighed. "Yes, I am. I've been cursed, from birth, with the power of flames...it's something unnatural in my world. A very large majority of people do not have this kind of ability where I'm from. This curse...it's forced me to be on my ownsome for my entire life. That's why…"

Before anyone could notice a potential tear, Blaze began to flee down some random corridor, using her pyrokinetic powers to melt down the doors that failed to block her path. Sonic, Tails and Luster convened on the floor of the docking bay.

"I wasn't expecting that," Sonic admitted. "Guess she isn't bad, then. I now know that for sure."

"How terrible...she's been on her own for her _entire life_? I mean, that's likely an exaggeration, but still. To be lonely for that long...it's gotta hurt," Tails added. "Should we let her go?"

Sonic shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Even though she's explained herself a bit, we can't just let her take on the Eggmen all alone. That's a surefire way to get yourself hurt. In more ways than one."

"Yeah," Luster nodded in agreement. "She's gotta understand how good other people are. I thought I already helped her with that, but I guess not."

"Right on, buddy," Sonic flashed his thumbs-up. He then turned to Tails. "Any idea where the doctors are?"

"If this is anything like either of the two Death Eggs, we should be able to just go along a path and find them at the end of it. Maybe Blaze's already doing that," Tails suggested.

"So the ol' zone dealy? Got'cha. Let's show the Eggmen that they can't mess with our worlds. And maybe we'll make Blaze see the light," summarised Sonic.

With that, Luster and Tails were pumped to do another round of evil scientist defeating. They all began their venture through the Dead Line space station. Sonic had to periodically slow down so that his friends could catch up. He was fine with this arrangement, since it was all for his pals.

Throughout their progress through the zone, the trio discovered remnants of scorched metal and melting Badniks, indicating that Blaze already had been making considerable progress. Everytime they found one of these battle-torn sights, their desire to catch up increased and increased.

Sonic had enough by the time they found a twelfth one.

"Jeez, this cat sure doesn't let up, huh?" he sighed in slight frustration. "I'm gonna go ahead. You guys catch up with Luster's instant thingy-m-whatever. We shoulda done this from the start…"

"No, wait," Luster objected. "I'll just go straight to Blaze."

"While that would be a good idea, I'm gonna have to say no. That girl needs a nice talkin' to and I've got a few things to say to her," Sonic refused. "Lemme handle her. You guys can catch up later."

"But…" Luster was about to object again, but then Tails intercepted.

"Let him. Sonic seems really serious about this, so it's best to trust him here," Tails reassured the young Mobian. "He'll take care of it."

Luster still seemed unsure, but his worries were mostly quelled. "Okay...you go ahead, Sonic."

"Cool. See ya guys later."

And with that, Sonic sped off, leaving the fox and the cat to their own devices. The hedgehog navigated his way through the zone at a much faster rate than before thanks to the dropped presences of his friends. He was free to go at whatever speed he wanted. Despite this, Sonic wasn't able to catch up with Blaze. Was she as fast as him?

No...he musn't have been going that fast to begin with. So Sonic redoubled his efforts and kept on moving. His speed allowed him to tear through any Badniks that got in his way. Any Badniks that survived Blaze's onslaught. The obstacle course was standard Death Egg-esque affair, with gravity changing at various points. Still wasn't enough to get the better of the blue blur.

After all, he'd seen it before.

Sonic eventually came to a clearing. A large, open and empty room. Blaze was inside.

"There you are. I've been lookin' for you, y'know," he 'greeted' the flaming feline.

"No-one asked you," Blaze retorted.

"I don't care. If someone's in need of help, I'm gonna help them whether they want it or not. Can't let a person in need go without it," Sonic explained. "And I know you'll need help."

"I told you, I don't need your help! I have always fought Dr. Eggman Nega on my own...I do NOT need or want your assistance!"

"Poor listening skills, eh? I said that I'll help you no matter what!"

"Get away...get away from me! Get out of my way!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Listen to me! Get out of my way or I'll burn…"

Blaze and Sonic's childish argument was cut short thanks to a sudden laser fired from an unknown source. It was sizeable enough that it struck both anthros in their respective sides (Blaze's left, Sonic's right) and powerful enough that it sent them into the farmost wall.

"Ho-ho-ho! We'll be the ones doing the burning today, missy!" the ever familiar voice of Dr. Eggman claimed from seemingly out of nowhere. It was quite dark in the room, so that made it much harder for Sonic and Blaze to pinpoint the source of the doctor's voice once they pulled themselves out of the wall.

And then another one came.

"Indeed! Your speed will be useless against the mechanical marvel we have for you today…" Dr. Eggman Nega added onto his counterpart's claim.

Lights flashed. The room brightened, forcing Sonic and Blaze to squint as it was that sudden of a brightness change. At the opposite end of the room as the door Sonic came through (which was now closed) was a gigantic robot. A pink, red and blue lizard lookalike.

"Meet the Egg Salamander!" both Eggmen finished, right as the robot in question was revealed by the light.

Sonic wasn't impressed.

"Egg Salamander? Sounds like something I had for breakfast the other day," he joked.

"Oh, Sonic, you'd better not joke about THIS beast!" Eggman threatened in return. "The Egg Salamander is a machine that'll put you in your paces...literally AND figuratively! For you see…"

"It's powered by the Sol Emeralds AND the Chaos Emeralds!" Eggman Nega finished for his partner.

"Not all of them. We still have the remaining ones," Blaze poked holes in the doctors' words.

"True...we must thank you for gathering them for us. Activate the extractor!" Eggman demanded.

Nega followed the command, pressing a big red button on the huge, two seater cockpit. A sizely metallic pipe emerged from the mech and soon began vacuuming in...nothing, it seemed. Not even the air was being drawn in.

Eventually, the Chaos Emeralds that Sonic was holding as well as the Sol Emeralds that Blaze had were all forcibly pulled out from their respective Hammerspace hiding places, causing the hedgehog and cat some minor pain. Both sets of remaining emeralds were sucked into the pipe and were quickly added onto the mech's power supply.  
The Eggmen laughed in triumph.

"Yes, suck...suck...suck!" Eggman chanted for some reason. "Ha ha! This is amazing! You two were foolish enough to come running at us with the emeralds we needed...you ran right into our trap!"

"Our Emerald Sucker certainly came in handy!" Eggman Nega continued. "Now we have fourteen lovely emeralds...time to put them to work! Let's go, Egg Salamander! Time to use their magnetic powers to disrupt this world and my own!"  
"Magnetic powers? What are you talking about?" Blaze almost demanded to know.

"Hmph...haven't you realised?" Nega answered with a scoff. "You are the Sol Emeralds' guardian after all. You should know this."

"In a manner, our worlds are inextricably linked. Something akin to parallel universes," Eggman explained. "My world is the north, Nega's world is the south. Much alike how magnetic poles work."

"And like the north and south, the Chaos Emeralds along with the Sol Emeralds can either attract or repel one another. Either process creates great power. That kind of power can end both worlds in an instant...it could even wreck havoc on the multiverse!" Nega added. "We want to harness said power. Now do you two fools see the scope of our genius? Ha ha ha!"

"Oh great, a multi-universe ending scheme. Gotta say, that's a new one. But it doesn't matter how original an evil scheme is...it's always gonna fall apart. Especially if it's from you guys," Sonic grinned. "So how about you drop it and we all walk outta this safely?"

"Nice joke, hedgehog. That's not how we're going to play this, though," Eggman refused.

"Exactly. We're the ones with the power here. I'd suggest you start bending to our will right now before we completely erase you from existence!" Nega threatened the two anthros.

"Nuh-uh," Sonic wagged his finger in a cocky manner. "Not gonna happen. Seems like you've forgotten one vital part to how the emeralds work…"  
Multi-coloured energy began to spring forth from the Egg Salamander, the beams of energy encircling the hedgehog in all of their brilliance. Blaze and the Eggmen stared at him in total shock and awe (mostly awe in Blaze's case) as the seven colours danced around his dark blue figure. As this was happening, Sonic turned down to face the cat.

"Uh, what're you doing? Shouldn't you be drawin' on the Sol Emeralds' power like I'm doing with the Chaos Emeralds right now?" he asked her.

"What? You can do that? I...I can't. I'm only the guardian…" Blaze lamented, sighing.

Sonic grinned again, for a different reason as earlier. "So what? Who cares if you're the guardian? You could be the guardian of chili dogs for all it matters. As long as you've got the heart and mind for it, anything can happen! If it turns out the Sol Emeralds run on some sorta avatar business like the Chaos Emeralds do, then I'm sure you qualify for whatever it is. You wanna save our worlds, don't you?"

Blaze nodded. She kept an eye on the Eggmans, who were far too fear-paralysed to do anything.

"Then as long as you believe in that desire, that wish of yours to save our worlds...I'm sure the Sol Emeralds will accept you, Blaze. It's the belief in you, your friends and your world that matters," Sonic finished explaining.

The cat was about to say something, but the hedgehog shushed her.

"Don't gimme any of that 'I gotta do this alone' crap. You've trusted Tails and I to get you up here. We delivered. Judgin' from the fact that you were with Luster for a while, you've gotta believe in him somehow or someway. And don't think I didn't see you with Cream earlier…" Sonic smiled, forcing a wave of calm into Blaze's mind. "You're not incapable of trust. You're just scared of what it can bring, aren't you?"  
Blaze remained silent.

"Thought so," Sonic lightly nodded. "I bet you're afraid you might burn someone with that curse of yours. Well, I can say for sure that I'm not scared of any fire. I've been in way too many volcanic zones and places like that. I know for a fact that Tails, Luster and Cream can brave through those things as well. So, as you can see, you gotta let go of that worry of yours and believe in your power. The same power that'll save our worlds."

Blaze held a clenched fist close to her chest. She closed her eyes and calmed herself further, breathing in and out slowly to achieve this state of being. The cat nodded in acceptance of Sonic's words. They rang true to her soul.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Blaze nodded again.

The process started up once more. Many colours continued to emerge from the side of the Egg Salamander, enveloping Sonic in their light just as they had been doing so moments earlier. Blaze retained her soul-searching state and reinforced her belief in herself. She did exactly as Sonic suggested.  
Soon enough, another stream of colourful lights burst from the mech's side, though the lights in question looked more...rectangular (?) than the ones that invaded Sonic's personal space. Blaze accepted these lights and they accepted her. For the energy of the nearby Sol Emeralds was now entering her systems for the first real time. It was now that she realised what happened back in Toy Kingdom, when she was fighting Omega as well as Rouge. She had inadvertently tapped into the Sol Emeralds' power.

Back then, it felt good. But now, with all seven nearby...it felt better. Much, much better. And she was ready to take in every single bit of it. Her internal flames shot up in intensity. Volcanoes everywhere quickly became dwarfed by her newfound pyrokinetic potential. Her fur became slightly lighter in colour and she became surrounded in ever present flames - both facets matched the awesomeness of her new strength.

Burning Blaze was born.

"This feels...amazing," the newly transformed Blaze commented, checking herself over.

"Sure is. At least, it is the first time round. You kinda get used to it after a while," Super Sonic revealed. "Anyway, hows about we kick down some doors and take some names?"

"I'm not familiar with the terminology, but I'll assume it means what I think it means! Let's do it, Sonic!"  
With that, Burning Blaze and Super Sonic engaged the Egg Salamander, piloted by the two Eggmen. A fierce battle for the sake of two worlds began.

The super powered anthros shot straight ahead for their opposition. Eggman as well as Eggman Nega had both recovered from their shock (or whatever they were doing) by this point and quickly initiated return fire. Using the power of the two sets of emeralds, they fired dozens upon dozens of quick and painful laser beams. The whole room turned into a laser massacre. Even after the lasers were fired for the first time, the wall that was unlucky enough to be behind the super anthros had been decimated by said beams, revealing bundles of now-exposed wiring.

Super Sonic and Burning Blaze decided it was best for them to split up in some kind of manner that would confuse the pair of doctors. Or, at the very least, it was supposed to be enough to divide their attention. Initially, this plan succeeded in confusing them - for a moment. Eggman and Nega quickly decided to split their efforts by having one of them focus on one foe while the other did the same for their remaining enemy. Nega had Burning Blaze, Eggman had Super Sonic.

Just the way they all preferred it.

After some endless seconds of battle, the walls were practically non-existent. The Eggmen began to freak out.

"Oh no! We forgot to factor in our environment!" Nega realised upon taking a good look at the current state of the place. "We were so wrapped up in our theatrics that we forgot to initiate our scene change!"

"You're right! Luckily, with the way the dimensions are now, it would be easy to set things up," Eggman agreed. He pressed certain buttons and flipped specific levers, then activated the comm system. "Listen up, you pesky rats! It's time for a change of pace!"

The Egg Salamander began to charge up a pink-purple ball of glowing energy between its pair of stubby palms. Sonic and Blaze remained on the defensive, confident in the defensive nature of their transformed states. Eventually, that pink energy ball only increased in size. It kept on growing. Growing...growing...it never stopped. It engulfed the room, the space station, but froze before it could touch the combined planet of Earth and Mobius below. The gigantic sphere shined white for a moment before the entire universe seemed to disappear.

In its place was a distortion in space - a time-space rift.

"Okay, what did you freaks do?" Super Sonic asked after checking his new environment.

"That's an easy one. All we did was accelerate the collision of our respective worlds. They were already heading towards a collision thanks to the presence of the Sol Emeralds in Eggman's dimension," Nega explained. "This rift, the Exception Zone as I like to call it, is the result of our worlds on the verge of combining for good. Once that happens, you two will be no longer and we will have full reign to control this new universe as we please, since we have the emeralds!"

"What?! You mean to create a world entirely in your visage? That's deplorable!" Burning Blaze yelled in distaste.

"Who cares what you think? You'll be long gone soon enough!" Eggman laughed maniacally. "Egg Salamander, go!"

Before the fight could restart for real, Sonic quickly grabbed Blaze's attention.

"Hey, psst, Blaze," he initiated. "Gotta warn ya. My super form drains energy continually while I'm in it. I dunno if that's the same for yours, but either way, we gotta act quickly. I see no Rings around here so I can't refill."

"I feel as if my form has the same limit…" Blaze disclosed. "I agree. We'll act with utmost haste. We will defeat these two egomaniacs before they can harm our worlds any further!"

"Heck yeah! Let's do it to it!"

The fight restarted. Now with the infinite expanse of the Exception Zone, there was no worry of harming the environment. Each combatant could fight as much as they wanted. Super charged laser beams, fire blasts and Sonic Winds aplenty. All these sorts of techniques and substances filled the non-existent atmosphere of the zone in just a small handful of seconds.

Sonic and Blaze went back to their split up tactics, as did the doctors. Sometimes the scientists even had the idea of switching opponents momentarily to try and confuse the super anthros, a tactic that did actually work for a time. But then Sonic and Blaze wisened up to their schemes. The pair zoomed ahead, avoiding the meteorites that were somehow present in the zone while unleashing everything they had onto the Egg Salamander. Their combined efforts were enough to overcome the resilience of the pure, dark energy the mech was utilising, though it wasn't enough to finish it off right away.

The clock was ticking on their super transformations. Egg Salamander could keep going. However, the doctors themselves were reaching their limits as well. It was only a matter of time before either side was to give in.

Meteorite, dodge, laser beam, dodge, Sonic Wind, Burning Fire Blast, slam, a clank of metal, panicked yelps of some evil scientists, repeat. The fight was a constant back and forth between the two sides. Super Sonic and Burning Blaze's supposed advantage of invulnerability was even a non-factor since Egg Salamander was also powered by the emeralds. Fourteen of them, to be exact. Yet, this didn't mean that the anthros were being hurt too much. Their durability was suitably high for such a universe shocking bout.

A winner had to emerge. In a timespace rift where no normal constructs were in play…a winner emerged.

Super Sonic and Burning Blaze combined their respective Super Sonic Boost and Burning Fire Boost techniques to create an immensely, super powerful dart of destruction that tore right through the middle of the mech, destroying it entirely. The Egg Salamander was no more.

The day had been saved.

"Well, that's that over and done with. Now to fix our worlds," Super Sonic sighed a breath of relief.

"...How?" Burning Blaze asked, confused.

"Oh right. Forgot you're new to this. Okay, listen. The Chaos Emeralds are gems that can transform thoughts into power. Let's assume the Sol Emeralds can do the same thing. Now we're gonna use a technique called Chaos Control, or Sol Control in your case I guess, to fix time and space in order to return everything back to normal."

Blaze nodded in understanding. "So we'll use our thoughts to create this...Chaos Control, which will then repair the damage the doctors have done?"

"Yep, you got it," Sonic gave her a thumbs-up. "What I like to do is channel a bunch of energy to the palm of my hands, which I extend outwards like this and think about what I want the Chaos Control to do. The emeralds read my thoughts and then the thing happens. Watch."

Sonic followed his own instructions. He calmed himself down, channeling Chaos Energy to the palms of his outstretched hands as he thought about repairing the pair of dimensions. The energy at his palms began to crackle and fizzle like water that is being boiled. Blaze watched while taking notes.

"I see.." she simply said before trying it herself.

And so Burning Blaze tried. She felt the Sol Energy currently encompassing her inner self and began 'asking' it to move towards her palms. Her mind was fully occupied with the same thing that Super Sonic was thinking: restoration. Soon her energy was fizzling, just as Sonic's was.

"Good...now, we unleash it," he instructed further.

Blaze was hesitant. "I...I'm sorry, Sonic. I apologise for my rash actions earlier today. It was unbecoming of me to act that way."

"Huh? Oh, no worries, Blaze. I get why you were actin' like that," Sonic attempted to calm her woes. "You just wanted to get your Sol Emeralds and fix this mess. You probably saw me as a bad guy or someone that'd get in your way. I probably woulda acted the same way if I were you."

"But-"

"But now it doesn't matter, 'cuz we're here, repairin' our worlds with Chaos slash Sol Control. You gonna say goodbye to the others? To Luster, Tails...to Cream?"

The cat shook her head. "No. It's better this way. I arrived in your world as a stranger. It's only appropriate I leave in the same way. Give my regards to those people I met. Cream, Luster, Tails, those others we were talking with in that...garage place. I will miss them...I have a place to be. My world needs its princess."

"Wait WHAT?!"

And the worlds were repaired. Thanks to the use of Chaos Control as well as the newly discovered Sol Control, both Sonic and Blaze's dimensions were returned to their former selves. The latter of the two returned to her world along with the Sol Emeralds and (disappointingly) Dr. Eggman Nega, where she governed the lives of all the world's citizens...as its princess.

Meanwhile, Sonic's world returned to the same state it was in before the doctors tried to merge it with Blaze's, sans Dead Line Zone. Luster, Tails and Cream were all upset to learn that Blaze left without saying a proper goodbye, but were all cheered up once Sonic gave them her goodbyes in her stead, just as she asked.

For these Mobians and humans, life returned to normal. Peace reigned as it mostly did. Only Dr. Eggman's return would disrupt said peace, bringing along all sorts of destruction when he did make his reappearance. Something about trading cards, a dark mythical being living underneath the planet, some storybook adventures, an interstellar amusement park, an adventure that spanned across time, an invasion from an ancient race of echidnas and a world dominated by Eggman.

Luster's search for his parents continued in the meantime.

* * *

 **Luster the Cat: Season 3 Ending 2 (Sword Art Online II, Startear, English) -**

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _If I had the chance to make a wish_

 _I wouldn't make sadness last so long_

 _I've turned away at every time, looking at my past I leave a tear_

 _Since then I've hid all of the scars_

 _That I've got, yet I will, remain here_

 _I'll easily bear everything that comes right out, of those concealed memories_

 _What is this thing that they call love?_

 _Is it something I'm far above?_

 _I wish to be strong, to be strong_

 _Stronger than I've ever been before_

 _To overcome the darkness on my own, to leave it all, no more_

 _And if I were to sink, I'd just climb up, out of the hole I dug myself into_

 _Away from those depths, that I wouldn't be able to escape from_

 _I'll never be unable to call any of you because_

 _The silver lining's with me too_

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ **Sorry this one took so long to release. Things got busy with university and well...I simply didn't want to write this one. I don't know if it was writer's block or something, i really don't know.**

 **But what I do know is that this fic will be on an indefinite hiatus. It kinda hurts me to do this since I've been working on it for so long, but I really haven't felt any desire to continue it for much longer. So unless someone comes along and this fic gets popular somehow, there will be no more updates for Luster the Cat ever. And if this ever does update, it'll only be like three more chapters. The finale, in other words.**

 **For now, this is the end. Thanks to everyone who's been reading and I'll see you whenever.**


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